Pastor

I was born in Sydney and grew up in a Lebanese Maronite (Catholic) family. As a child, my Christian uncle continually told me about Jesus Christ and His gift of salvation, which I rejected. As a young teenager, I briefly attended a Christian youth group at Metropolitan Baptist Church but rejected the Gospel again, deciding that Christianity wasn't for me.

I thought the world would make me happy. I learned that sin was pleasurable, but only for a season, and it resulted in scars and consequences that last a lifetime. I lived a life of sin which I regret, and took for granted the life that God gave me.

On 14th April 2007, I had a conversation with my uncle. He didn't witness to me like he usually did, but simply said, “Jason when I look at your life, I see a question mark!” It was true that my life made no sense and had no purpose. A couple of weeks later I went back to Metropolitan Baptist Church and kept going Sunday mornings. All the messages seemed to be directed right at me: I thought the preacher knew all about my life. Praise God for His Word! (Hebrews 4:12)

When the people at church asked me if I was saved, I always responded ‘yes,’ referring to a “sinner's prayer” I prayed when I was around 11. However, I had never seen my sin for what it was, nor repented of my ways and believed on Christ as the only way of salvation.

After one of the men took me through a Bible study on Assurance of Salvation, I realized I wasn't saved. That night I could not sleep, thinking of Christ and trying to understand the reason why He would die for someone like me. I got on my knees and prayed something along the lines of, “I'm not saved and I don't really understand why You would die for someone like me, but I believe that You did and that You not only died but rose again the third day; and I ask that You would forgive my sins. I receive You as my Saviour. Thank you. Amen.” It was like a great burden was lifted off my shoulders. I praise God for His wonderful grace and His patience with me, a sinner.

After completing the discipleship program and getting baptized, I wanted to learn more about God and His Word, so I went to Sydney Bible Baptist College to learn more. I wanted to know if God wanted me to serve Him full time, so I continued to take more courses while seeking the Lord about what He would have me to do. In April 2011, the Lord confirmed His will for my life from Mark 10:16, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” From this point, I started preparing for full time service.

I graduated from SBBC in 2013. The following year, the Lord confirmed His leading to take over the pastorate at Northern Baptist Church.

In April 2015, Sonja and I were married, and I was commissioned to begin working at Northern Baptist Church on August 2, 2015. As of 2025, the Lord has since blessed us with six precious children.