Associate Pastor
Pastor Clayton's Testimony
The Young family: Clayton, Christa, Lisa, Daniel
Clayton Young grew up in a Christian home. He received the Lord at age eight and was baptized at Olivet Baptist Church. He credits his Sunday School teachers in the ninth grade for discipling him in his faith. He remembers Mr. Ken Masuda saying on the first day of class, “we will study the Bible, memorize scripture, and pray”. It was then that Clayton began to grow in his faith. He also credits Mrs. Kathleen Kawamoto who led Youth Bible studies during the summer and coordinated a Maui trip to serve other churches and share in their Worship Service. These experiences laid the spiritual foundation early in his life.
In the tenth grade, Clayton remembers a special time. At Glorietta New Mexico, he felt led to share the Word with people in an informal Bible Study setting. There he taught from Romans 12, and afterwards realized that he was touched by the Holy Spirit and received the gift of teaching.
In his high school years, he became President of the Christian Fellowship Club at McKinley High School. It was affiliated with Inter-School Christian Fellowship (ISCF). He was also involved with leadership training with Campus Crusade.
After graduating from high school, Clayton attended the University of Hawaii. While at the University, he was involved in Inter-Varsity (IV) and the Navigators. Both are para-church organizations that continued to lay spiritual foundations in Clayton’s life.
After graduating from the University of Hawaii with a Secondary Education degree in Biology, he accepted his first teaching job at Hana High School on Maui. Each weekend he would drive to Kahului and stay with Pastor Steve Kaneshiro and his family. It was there that the Lord began training him in the ministry. Clayton taught Sunday School, led Bible Studies, and preached his first sermons at Kahului Baptist Church.
Clayton relocated to Honolulu after two years on Maui. He transferred to his alma mater McKinley High School. He attended Waialae Baptist Church where he met his wife Lisa. Interestingly, Lisa left two months later to work on Maui as a nurse. They corresponded and two years later, Clayton was called to be the Youth Director at Kahului Baptist Church during the summer of 1987. The Lord provided a way for them to be on the same island and to start dating. Lisa relocated back to Oahu at the end of ’87 and they married in 1989.
In 1990, they moved to Mililani and Clayton transferred to Leilehua High School. A year later God led Clay and Lisa to Calvary Chapel Central Oahu pastored by Rick Irons. Clayton became an elder and ten years later in 2001, the Lord called him into full-time ministry where he is currently the Assistant Pastor.
Clayton and Lisa are blessed with two wonderful children. Christa and Daniel are both homeschooled and are involved in jumprope practices and demos throughout the year.
“Having a personal relationship with Jesus” Clayton says, “has certainly been the best thing that ever happened to me”. “He has given me hope for the future, strength for the present, and joy for the journey. His life verse is Philippians 4:13, which says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. The Lord is constantly teaching me about love, trust, faith, and dying to self.” His call upon my life is certainly an adventure as he ventures out in faith as the journey continues…
pastorclay@calvarychapelcentraloahu.comd contributions from free-lance writer