Hayden began serving Idlewild Baptist Church as Pastor to Youth and Families in October 2021. He comes to IBC from First Baptist Church in Uptown Charlotte where he worked with Youth, College, and Young Adult ministries. Prior to this, Hayden served with the kids ministry at The Summit Church in Raleigh, NC, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes at UNC Charlotte and in the greater-Charlotte region.
Hayden currently serves as a Chaplain Candidate with the United States Army Reserves. He began his Master’s in Divinity in Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2018.
Before becoming a founding member of the inaugural football team at UNC-Charlotte, Hayden grew up in the Raleigh area of North Carolina. Hayden and his wife, Meredith, met at UNC-Charlotte’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes as student athletes as Meredith was playing softball. Hayden and Meredith were married in 2019 and have a desire to disciple and encourage students and young adults.