Jon Weece announces he is stepping down as lead pastor at KY’s Southland Christian Church
The senior pastor of one of the biggest church systems in Kentucky is stepping down from his position.
Jon Weece, 47, announced he would be leaving his position as senior pastor of Southland Christian Church at a service on Jan. 19.
He announced that one year from now, in January 2026, he will give up his position as pastor and become a regular member of the church. Weece has led the church since he was 26 years old.
Weece is only the third senior minister Southland has had in its history. The other two were founder Wayne B. Smith and Mike Breaux.
In that time, he has written 1,200 sermons and delivered them 6,000 times, he said. During a “sacred and special prayer time” Weece does every summer, he said God revealed to him his time as lead pastor was coming to a close.
“I am not stepping aside because I am tired. I am not stepping aside because I am angry or sad or because I feel neglected or discouraged,” he said.
“I am not stepping aside because I have done something immoral, nefarious or foolish. ... I am going to stop serving you as as a preacher from this stage. But I will serve as thousands of you serve in this church as a member of this place.”
Since 2021 he spoke privately with the elders of the church and began to discuss what the transition would look like.
Weece announced Scott Nickell will be chosen as the church’s lead pastor.
Southland is among the 50 largest churches in the nation and is the largest in Central Kentucky. They have expanded locations located in Lexington, Nicholasville, Danville, Richmond and Georgetown.
