After graduating with a double major in Bible and philosophy, Jeff went to seminary, eventually becoming Senior Pastor at Nappanee Brethren in Christ Church, Nappanee Indiana. This is what he had to say about the value of his study of philosophy:
I can think of no other secondary major which would have helped me nearly as much [as philosophy]. More specifically, the questions of philosophy frequently intersected questions of faith and theology. We spend time wrestling with issues crucial for articulating the Christian faith in today’s world. We thought carefully about other religions and compared their philosophical advantages (internal consistency, logical problems, whether they resonated with our common, human experience, etc.). We thought systematically through difficult Christian theological issues such as the atonement, the problem of evil, and many more. . . As I think back on the journey I have made on many of these issues, I owe much to those philosophy classes over 10 years ago. Those classes were more helpful to me than any theology classes I have had, including those in seminary.