This feature ran in the last issue of our Community Matters magazine.
Welcome to the second edition of the Community Matters Q&A series, highlighting local youth pastors who continue to make a meaningful impact in and around our community. This ongoing feature offers readers a closer look into the heart, challenges and calling behind youth ministry through conversations with those leading the next generation.
In this edition, we sit down with a local youth pastor to explore their journey into ministry, the lessons they’ve learned along the way and the realities of guiding students through some of the most formative years of their lives. From personal calling to the challenges facing today’s youth, this Q&A provides an honest and thoughtful perspective on what it means to lead, mentor and serve.
Questions with Clay Tankersley, former youth pastor at Hanceville First Baptist and Fairview: The Grace Place and current youth pastor at CrossRoads Baptist in Hayden
For readers who may not know you, can you share a little about who you are and a little bit about your youth ministry?
My name is Clay Tankersley. I have been married to my beautiful bride, Ashley, for 17 years, and we have three children.
I have been serving in full-time youth ministry for about 18 years. I have served at Hanceville First Baptist, Fairview: The Grace Place, and CrossRoads Baptist.
What originally drew you to working with students, and what keeps you invested in youth ministry today?
I knew at the age of 16 that the LORD was calling me to ministry. Despite my best efforts to run, God was patient with me. After a few years of being a prodigal, the LORD restored to me the joy of my salvation. Shortly after, I began serving in student ministry.
The Good News of the Gospel keeps me motivated. I know my imperfections, yet God continues to love me anyway. Seeing students from all walks of life and hearing their stories compels me to share that Good News with them. My desire is to share the love of Christ in practical ways.
What is one word that best describes how you approach youth ministry, and why?
Relational. The LORD calls us into community. Community can’t be accomplished without personal relationships. My goal in ministry is to build relationships not just with students, but also with parents so that I can partner with them in ministry as well.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing today’s youth?
I believe one of the greatest challenges facing our youth today is identity and self-worth. Social media is not inherently bad; however, it has amplified the need to fit in and be perfect. This pressure then causes social anxiety for many teens. The world expects perfection, but perfection can never be attained. Christ became perfect for us and through that perfection, has reconciled us to God through His sacrifice. This allows us to have peace through our imperfections and an imperfect world.
How do you create an environment where students feel safe, valued and heard?
I believe that this is best demonstrated through building relationships. We do this through a monthly fellowship, weekly Bible study/small groups, and sharing meals together. There are lots of conversations that happen around the table. We learn to hear and trust the heart of each person involved.
What role does your faith in Jesus play in helping young people navigate the world today?
My faith in Christ is the only way that I can help anyone. My life has been full of highs and lows. Each season, the LORD has been good and faithful to me. The answers that we find in Scripture to handle situations may not always be easy, but they lead to peace. As students live out their faith through obedience to Scripture, the LORD encourages and gives their hearts peace.
Is there a moment or experience in your ministry that reminded you why this work matters?
There have been many moments in my ministry experience that remind me why student ministry is important. There are so many students who feel lost, unwanted, and unloved. Seeing a student recognize their need for a Savior and grasp that God loves them and has a plan and purpose for their life reminds me of why. Seeing the Holy Spirit reveal God’s love to them always fills my heart with joy!
Seeing former students now discipling other students also reminds me of why this work matters. Being able to watch students who have been discipled and poured into by leaders, now pouring into the lives of others, is such a privilege and a reminder of the Great Commission. Disciples making disciples.
If you had the opportunity to share the Gospel with a student that has never heard before, how would you do it? What would you say?
I would keep it simple and short but allow space for them to ask any questions that they might have.
I would start by talking with them about their purpose. I would remind them that they are created in the image of God to have a relationship with Him, but our sin has gotten in the way. God’s standard is perfection, and we all fall short of that.
I would then give them the good news! That Christ, the son of God, lived a perfect and sinless life for us – He was perfect. Because He was perfect, He became the sacrifice for our sins on the cross and rose on the third day. Through faith in the finished work of Christ, He has now clothed us in His righteousness. He has declared us perfect through His sacrifice, and we now stand blameless and faultless before God!
What is one thing you wish parents or the community better understood about today’s youth?
One thing that we all need to step back and look at is how overwhelmed students are. There is so much social pressure to conform to being “busy.” The things we are busy with aren’t necessarily bad things. However, we carry on from one activity to the next without having meaningful conversations with our children.
The other thing I wish most parents understood is the need for their teenagers to be present in their lives. I don’t mean just showing up. I mean, actually being present and engaging with them. Undistracted, undivided attention for 10 minutes a day can help bridge the gap for our teenagers, who feel overlooked and overwhelmed.
What do you hope students carry with them long after they leave your youth ministry?
My prayer is that when students leave our youth ministry, they carry with them a deep understanding of where their identity truly lies. In a constantly changing world that pressures them to adapt just to stay relevant, I want them to be grounded in the unchanging truth that their identity is in Christ — knowing who they are and to whom they belong. That foundation brings peace and stability no matter what season of life they face.
I also pray they remain committed to Christ-centered community, recognizing that they were never meant to walk alone. Beyond that, I hope they live with purpose — understanding that God has uniquely created them to be a light in the darkness wherever He places them.
Finally, my desire is that they model the love and humility of Christ by serving others, just as He has served us (Philippians 2).
As it says in 3 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” That is my greatest hope for every student.
