I am Jonathan Crow, a native of South Florida. I believed the good news of the gift of eternal life through the AWANA program at my church in about 5th grade. My family attended that Baptist church throughout my high school years, and I served in various ways and went on a few mission trips around the US.

My dad is the biggest influence on my faith. He grew up involved in the Free Grace movement with Paul Carpenter and Dr. Sellers. The Grace in Focus magazine came each month that I would browse through growing up — I didn't realize then that it was very controversial.

I attended Mercer University from 2010–2014, where I earned a BA in History. While there I took the opportunity to visit different religious groups and campus ministries each week, and developed a genuine friendship with my Christianity professor, even where we disagreed. Those conversations over coffee shaped how I think about engaging charitably across doctrinal lines.

After graduating I tried teaching public school for two years, then worked at a marketing firm, before settling into the technical support position I currently hold with HP.

Back home, I continued attending the Baptist church I grew up in. But questions I raised in adult Sunday school were seen as disruptive, and after a series of meetings with pastoral staff over disagreements on repentance — particularly the tension between "repent and believe" in altar calls and the clear message of faith alone in John 3:16 — I departed the church in 2023. It was a meaningful place to me, and leaving was not easy. It was, after all, where I first heard the gospel.

Through that transition I joined a younger church and was given the opportunity to lead their young adult group through the Gospel of John for about a year. That study was fruitful and continues to inform my approach to teaching and ministry.

Around the same time, I learned that the Grace Evangelical Society had begun offering seminary courses — free, and at your own pace. It was an easy decision. I didn't want to pass on the chance to be taught by Bob Wilkin himself, even apart from any vocational aim. In May 2024, my dad and I attended the National GES Conference outside Dallas, and returned again in 2025. Meeting other Free Grace believers in person was an encouraging experience.

After more than two years in the program and growing involvement in ministry, I found an openly Free Grace church using GES's church-tracking tool. I now attend the Bridge Church in Miramar, Florida.

Looking back, I am grateful God has used me to advance the gospel in such a short time and look forward to more opportunities to serve Him.