Pastor Jesse Louis Hutchison Jr.

A Life Marked by Grace

Pastor Jesse Louis Hutchison Jr. was born August 18, 1970, and raised in Long Beach, California, in his parents' home alongside four sisters. At just seven years old, he received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior at New Hope Baptist Church in Long Beach — a moment that planted a seed that would take root across decades of life, struggle, and divine purpose.

Even through seasons of trouble, Jesse always felt the presence of God — a persistent pull toward something deeper, something personal. In his late teens, Jesse found himself in serious trouble with the law and was sentenced to four years of incarceration. He was offered the opportunity to serve a portion of that time fighting wilderness fires with the California Department of Forestry through the Youth Authority — a grueling, humbling, and ultimately transformative experience.

Those fire camps left a permanent mark on his soul. The discipline, the danger, the camaraderie, and the raw beauty of fighting fire in the wilderness became a living parable of what God would later call him to do — to run toward the flame, not away from it. After his release, Jesse carried that image with him as he began to pursue God more intentionally.

In 2003, Jesse's employer offered him a relocation to Atlanta, Georgia — a door he recognized as providential. He enrolled at Beulah Heights University (BHU), a historically significant Bible college in Atlanta, where he pursued formal theological training. He graduated in 2011, equipped and ready to answer the call that had been following him since childhood.

That same year, Pastor Jesse founded Garden of Grace Christian Community Fellowship, which led to his membership in both the Georgia Baptist Convention Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. As he continued to reflect on the arc of his life — the fire camps, the redemption, the providence of God — he felt led to rename the ministry Fire Camp Baptist Church International. The name is not merely a nod to his past; it is a declaration of purpose. Fire Camp Baptist Church International has been in continuous ministry since 2011.