Celebrating Our Pastors This Month
As we continue to celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month at Bay Life, we are highlighting the men and women who lead with grace, serve with humility, and point us toward Jesus in both word and action. This week, we are excited to introduce Pastor Brian Pete, our High School Pastor.
Brian brings a contagious energy and deep commitment to discipling students. Whether he is speaking truth from the stage, coaching leaders, or walking alongside a student through life's ups and downs, he consistently shows what it means to follow Jesus with integrity and purpose.
If you could only eat one food item for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Greek food,like a salad like the Acropolis Salad. It has the freshness of the salad, the flavor of tzatziki, and the richness of gyro meat. I could eat it every day and never get bored.
Tell us one thing most people do not know about you.
I play disc golf!
What Bible verse does God seem to continually bring you back to, sort of as a life verse?
Mark 10:45 (ESV)
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
What are you currently reading, aside from the Bible?
Winning the War in Your Mind and just starting The Anxious Generation.
What does your ideal day look like? If you could do anything and go anywhere?
I love being with my family anywhere, whether that is up in the North Georgia mountains or at the beach. As my kids get older, I am looking forward to serving with them on mission trips.
How did you meet your spouse, and when did you know you wanted to marry her?
Hayley and I met in high school. After dating for 4.5 years, I knew we had the same values and priorities; we both wanted to put God first. We went to church together, studied the Bible, and attended camps and retreats. I just loved being around her and knew she was the one.
How did you come to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
I was invited to Bay Life's High School ministry. After a little while, I started attending a small group Bible study at a student’s house. At the time, I figured I was just as “good” as the church kids, so if they were going to heaven, I must be too. But they shared how we are all separated from God by our sin, and it is not our actions that save us, it is faith in the finished work of Jesus. That night, I trusted in Jesus and surrendered my life to Him.
How has God used your role as pastor to transform you?
Preaching is constant accountability, it pushes me to live rightly and share both my successes and my struggles. I have watched God raise up new disciples who go on to make other disciples. It is a blessing to see the gospel proclaimed not just on mission trips but through students in their schools and our community.
Describe your most recent personal encounter with Jesus.
Recently, I experienced God answering prayer while walking through a conflict. Instead of relying on my own wisdom or past experience, I came to Him with an open heart. He gave me clarity, the right mindset, and led me in a direction that brought Him glory.
What specific ways would you like to see the members of Bay Life get more involved in ministry?
Our mission is to glorify God by being disciples who make disciples. I want to see more believers continue growing in faith and getting connected in the ministries God is calling them to. We cannot let past failures or insecurities hold us back from the purpose God has for us.
How can the people of Bay Life specifically pray for you and your family?
Pray that each member of our family would put God first—above all else. That foundation shapes everything else: our priorities, relationships, and purpose.
Please pray that my marriage continues to be God-honoring, and that Hayley and I remember our kids belong to Him, that He is leading us as we lead them. Pray that our kids would know who they are and whose they are, and that they would seek God as the center of all their future plans.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Bay Life has been my church home for the last 24 years, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve here and to be cared for here. I am surrounded by an incredible group of youth leaders who make it possible to reach and disciple our students.
Thank you, Pastor Brian, for your long-standing faithfulness, your leadership among students, and your example of what it means to be a disciple who makes disciples. Your passion for raising up the next generation is a gift to our church family.
