Jay Hardwick serves as Senior Pastor of Forest Hills Baptist Church in Nashville, TN where he has served since December 2020. A native of South Carolina, he is a graduate of North Greenville University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently a doctoral student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Jay is passionate about leading people to follow Jesus and to engage His mission in the world. His passion shows up in his preaching, his personal investment in making disciples, and in developing the next generation of ministry leaders. In addition to leading Forest Hills, Jay speaks frequently in camps, conferences, and on campuses across the Southeast.

Jay and his wife of 22 years, Lara Beth, have three daughters and live in Nashville. He enjoys traveling with his family, playing golf, drinking good coffee and cheering on their favorite sports teams – Go Gamecocks, Rebels, Cubs, Titans, and Preds!