The Ministry of Showing Up

The Ministry of Showing Up

Jason and Julia Caudill didn't arrive at First Presbyterian by accident.

Like many faithful church members, their journey has taken them through different seasons, different churches, different careers, and different callings. Looking back, they can see God weaving together experiences they never could have planned themselves.

Today, they have quickly become familiar faces at First Presbyterian. They help lead the college ministry, are active in the Carrick Sunday School class and the Morrow’s First Fellowship Group, have embraced opportunities to serve, and are preparing to officially join the church. But long before they walked through the doors on State Street, God had already been shaping both of them into people who understand the importance of simply showing up.

Both Jason and Julia grew up in Southern Baptist churches, where Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday nights were a part of life.

For Julia, faith became personal during college after moving from Michigan to Tennessee with her mother and stepfather. Unsure where to find a church, she followed a recommendation to a large Baptist congregation in Memphis with a vibrant college ministry. There, new friends invited her to Bible study, where one simple conversation changed everything.

One young woman mentioned that she read Scripture every day because "God talks to you."

"I didn't really believe that," Julia remembers with a laugh.

So she picked up the Bible for herself. As she read, she felt God meet her in those pages, and her faith became more than something she had inherited. It became her own. That decision led her far beyond Tennessee.

She spent two years in India, partnering with local pastors and church leaders to teach biblical storytelling as a tool for discipleship in communities where oral tradition is central to everyday life. Instead of simply delivering information, she helped leaders tell the stories of Scripture in ways people could remember, share, and pass from one generation to the next.

One memory still stands out.

After spending an entire day walking through the stories of Scripture, one woman stood and said, "If God can do that for Moses and Abraham, God can help me with what I have going on."

"You got it," Julia remembers thinking.

Those years overseas taught her something important. While she loved ministry, she also discovered that God had uniquely wired her for something deeply personal: caring for people one-on-one. She returned to Tennessee, completed a Master of Public Health at the University of Tennessee, and eventually realized she wanted to become a clinician. Nursing school followed, and today she serves as a nurse practitioner.

Until last year, Julia worked in surgical oncology, walking alongside patients recovering from cancer surgery. It was demanding work she loved deeply. When an opportunity arose to move into a family practice, however, she wrestled with the decision.

"I felt like God asked me one question," she says. "'Do you trust me?'"

She answered yes. The transition meant leaving behind patients and colleagues she loved, but it also brought something she hadn't realized she desperately needed: space to breathe.

"I've gained back my quality of life," she says. "I wanted to help every patient, and somewhere along the way I started carrying the weight of things only God could carry. He was always in control. I just thought I had to do it all myself."

For Jason, faith also deepened over time.

After drifting in and out of church during college and graduate school, he found himself searching for something deeper. As he pursued advanced degrees, eventually earning a doctorate and becoming a professor, he also began asking deeper questions about Scripture and the church.

After Jason and Julia married, they started intentionally searching for a church where they could put down roots together.

Both had grown up Southern Baptist, but they found themselves longing for a tradition grounded in the broader story of Scripture.

That search led them to a Lutheran church.

"There was more Scripture in every service," Jason says. "The Old Testament mattered because it pointed to Jesus. The rest of the New Testament mattered because it showed us how to live as the church." It was there that Jason completed an extensive course of study before being baptized as an adult and joining the Lutheran Church.

"It was really the first point in my life where I developed a deep understanding of Scripture," he says.

Their years there became a season of growth and service. Julia poured herself into middle school ministry, while together they led the church's young adult ministry, opening their home, hosting monthly gatherings, and building community around meals and conversation. Jason laughs that he nearly wore out his smoker feeding everyone.

Hospitality became one of the ways they loved people.

Cooking remains one of Jason's favorite hobbies. Homemade banana pudding, fresh bread, scratch-made desserts, grilling, smoking meat; feeding people has become one more expression of caring for them.

Outside the kitchen, they both love spending time outdoors. They enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, and exploring East Tennessee together. Julia recently returned to running after several years away and has completed two half marathons. She loves the discipline, the quiet, and the way being outside helps clear her mind.

"It frees up your mind," she says. "It helps me spiritually."

Eventually, they sensed it was time for another transition. As they searched for a new church home, they visited congregations across Knoxville, hoping to find a place where they could stay for years to come. First Presbyterian had already caught their attention during the church's Kirkin’ of the Tartan’s 230th anniversary celebration. Jason, whose family has deep Scottish roots, was intrigued by the Kirkin' traditions and historian Jack Neely's presentation. They attended the celebration, stayed for worship, and experienced something they didn't expect.

They sat near Diana Curtis. Before they realized she was the senior pastor's wife, she had already welcomed them, invited them to lunch, and made sure they felt at home.

"It just stuck with us," Jason says. When they returned, they quickly realized Diana wasn't the exception. "The whole church is like that."

Within weeks they found community in the Carrick Sunday School class and the Morrow’s Fellowship Group. Before long, they were invited to help with the college ministry alongside John and Virginia Schroeder. "We'd been here about two weeks," Jason laughs. "Then John had knee surgery after the first meeting, and suddenly we were leading the second one."

It felt like confirmation that they were where they were supposed to be.

Their professional lives have also prepared them well for ministry.

As Professor of Business and Program Coordinator at King University, Jason spends much of his time mentoring adult students balancing careers, families, and school. He often says there are surprising parallels between being a professor and being a pastor.

"Every disaster that happens lands in my inbox," he says. "Deaths in the family, illnesses, babies being born, people getting married... all of life."

Helping students earn a degree is only part of his work. Just as important is helping them navigate life's challenges while continuing to move forward. "I think for a lot of students, school becomes the one normal piece of their life they can hold onto." Years later, former students still reach out asking for letters of recommendation, research advice, or simply to share where life has taken them.

"Those are the best days," he says. "That's when you realize the work mattered."

Julia sees similar opportunities every day in medicine.

Whether treating a routine illness or helping someone manage a chronic disease, she believes trust begins with genuine compassion. "You can do all the medical things," she says. "But when people know you really care, it becomes more than just a patient encounter."

Patients often teach her as much as she teaches them. Many of those she has cared for have been people of deep faith, and watching them persevere through cancer treatments and chronic illness has left a lasting impression.

"They don't know what's next," she says. "But they know God is in control." Those moments have become sacred reminders of God's faithfulness.

Toward the end of the conversation, the Caudills were asked one final question.

How do they hope people would describe them?

Jason didn't hesitate.

"If it's two o'clock in the morning and absolutely everything has gone wrong," he says, "we're the couple people know they can call." Julia smiled and added another layer.

"We're good at communicating. You learn how to do that over time. You work through things because you don't give up." She pauses before connecting it back to faith. "That goes back to our relationship with God. He's never going to give up on us. He wants to hear from us. Relationships are built by communicating. Don't shut people out. Be there for people. Show up for people."

Maybe that's the simplest way to describe Jason and Julia Caudill.

One spends his days helping students find a path forward.

The other spends hers helping patients heal.

Together they mentor college students, open their home, cook meals, answer late-night phone calls, and invest in the lives of others.

Whether in a classroom, an exam room, or around a church table, they seek to reflect the steadfast love of Christ through ordinary acts of faithfulness. They understand that ministry often begins by being present, listening well, and walking alongside others through whatever season they may be facing.

Their witness is quiet, but it is unmistakable. We give thanks for the gifts Jason and Julia bring to the life of First Presbyterian. Their lives bear witness to God's grace, and our congregation is richer because they are part of this community of faith.