Pastor Alex McNeilly
Alex has been the campus director of Clearnote Campus Fellowship since Fall 2014. He and his wife, Dani, both graduated from IU in 2011. Alex majored in jazz studies, and Dani in dietetics. After graduating, Alex attended New Geneva Academy and graduated in 2014. They have 5 children: Jubilee, Whitaker, Zeal, Simeon, and Moses.
What led you to prepare for gospel ministry?
During my time in college at Indiana University, brothers, sisters, and fathers in the faith helped me to see that God had given me gifts of leadership and ministry which would be useful to Christ’s church. As I came nearer to graduating from college, I began to believe that the best use of those gifts would be in the context of full-time ministry. The faithful work of pastors and elders calling me to mature faith and true repentance during my college years led me in turn to want to call others to faith and repentance, even in that same formative time of life.
Why did you choose New Geneva Academy?
It was during my time at Clearnote Church during my college years that I began to grow into maturity in the faith. I was ministered to in crucial ways both by students and instructors from NGA, and I wanted to continue to grow and benefit under their wise care. I knew that at NGA I would learn not just how to do theology, but how to be a pastor and care for people’s souls. I knew this largely because NGA provided the opportunity to learn what ministry meant in the context of a local church.
What was the most challenging aspect of your time at NGA? What was the most enjoyable?
I was often called to examine my own heart and the sincerity of my own faith in classes and in the work we were called to do in the church. NGA's focus on heart religion called me to be faithful to God before leading others in faithfulness. This was difficult but essential to my growth in spiritual leadership.
Both classes and ministry opportunities gave me the chance to discover and exercise my gifts in ways that helped me understand more about myself and my place in Christ’s church. In particular, I was blessed to follow a course of study which focused on worship theology and the writing and leading of worship music. In songwriting workshops, other students and I were able to share music we’d been working on and critique and improve one another—both a challenging and enjoyable experience.
How did NGA prepare you for your current work?
While at NGA I served as an intern with Clearnote Campus Fellowship at Indiana University. Because of this, I had the opportunity to apply the things I was learning in class in real-life situations as I ministered to college students. Practicing this under the supervision of pastors and elders prepared me for transitioning into being the campus director of Clearnote Campus Fellowship upon graduating from NGA, and then later into being an assistant pastor at Christ Church, Cincinnati.
During my time in college at Indiana University, brothers, sisters, and fathers in the faith helped me to see that God had given me gifts of leadership and ministry which would be useful to Christ’s church. As I came nearer to graduating from college, I began to believe that the best use of those gifts would be in the context of full-time ministry. The faithful work of pastors and elders calling me to mature faith and true repentance during my college years led me in turn to want to call others to faith and repentance, even in that same formative time of life.
Why did you choose New Geneva Academy?
It was during my time at Clearnote Church during my college years that I began to grow into maturity in the faith. I was ministered to in crucial ways both by students and instructors from NGA, and I wanted to continue to grow and benefit under their wise care. I knew that at NGA I would learn not just how to do theology, but how to be a pastor and care for people’s souls. I knew this largely because NGA provided the opportunity to learn what ministry meant in the context of a local church.
What was the most challenging aspect of your time at NGA? What was the most enjoyable?
I was often called to examine my own heart and the sincerity of my own faith in classes and in the work we were called to do in the church. NGA's focus on heart religion called me to be faithful to God before leading others in faithfulness. This was difficult but essential to my growth in spiritual leadership.
Both classes and ministry opportunities gave me the chance to discover and exercise my gifts in ways that helped me understand more about myself and my place in Christ’s church. In particular, I was blessed to follow a course of study which focused on worship theology and the writing and leading of worship music. In songwriting workshops, other students and I were able to share music we’d been working on and critique and improve one another—both a challenging and enjoyable experience.
How did NGA prepare you for your current work?
While at NGA I served as an intern with Clearnote Campus Fellowship at Indiana University. Because of this, I had the opportunity to apply the things I was learning in class in real-life situations as I ministered to college students. Practicing this under the supervision of pastors and elders prepared me for transitioning into being the campus director of Clearnote Campus Fellowship upon graduating from NGA, and then later into being an assistant pastor at Christ Church, Cincinnati.