About
Jon & Darren met in South Australia when they were in high school over 30 years ago. For the last 30 years their friendship has provided a source of encouragement, strength & support. More than 20 years ago, they both moved to the United States, attended seminary & went on to plant new churches.
Over the years their hearts have been grieved watching their friends & heroes collapse under the weight of the ministries they built. The pressures of pastoral ministry are significant & too many pastors fail to finish well. One recent study (Barna, 2022) found 46% of pastors under the age of 45 say they find the pressure of church leadership to be overwhelming & are considering quitting full time ministry.
Out of this passion to help pastors finish well, Jon & Darren created HOLD FAST. Since 2020 they have been hosting private retreats to serve pastors & their spouses. Their vision is to get ahead of these kinds of disasters by caring for & creating environments where their hearts, marriages & ministries can thrive.
Our Team
Jon & Christy Tyson
Jon & Christy Tyson moved to New York City to plant churches over 16 years ago. Originally from Adelaide Australia, Jon moved to the United States twenty years ago with a passion to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western Church. He is the author of Rumors of God, Sacred Roots, A Creative Minority, The Burden is Light, Beautiful Resistance, & The Intentional Father. He serves as the Lead Pastor of Church of the City New York. Jon & Christy have two children: Nathan & Haley.
Darren & Brandy Whitehead
In 2013, Darren & his wife Brandy, along with a small team planted Church of the City in Nashville, TN. Every weekend thousands of people worship at one of three church congregations across the Nashville metro area. Originally from Australia, Darren has lived in the United States for over 20 years. He earned his Masters in Ministry from Wesley Seminary & his Doctorate from Capital Seminary & Graduate School. He is the author of Rumors of God (co-authored with Jon Tyson) & Holy Roar (co-authored with Chris Tomlin). Darren & Brandy have three daughters: Sydney, Scarlett & Violet.