Megachurch Pastor Jay Strother diagnosed with stomach cancer

Senior pastor of the multi-campus Brentwood Baptist Church in Tennessee, Jay Strother, says he will “step away from ministry” for an extended period following a stomach cancer diagnosis.

The 50-year-old married father of five, who assumed his role at the Southern Baptist megachurch on Oct. 1, 2023, says he is now holding onto the message of Matthew 6:33-34.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you. Therefore, don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. By God’s grace, I’ve been taking it a day at a time and a step at a time,” Strother told attendees at the church, which attracts some 7,000 people weekly across nine campuses in the Nashville area.

Strother said he learned of his diagnosis last December but had been processing what it meant for his life before making his recent decision to disclose it publicly.

“I discovered in early December that I had a large mass in my right abdominal area. After meeting with doctors and undergoing medical testing, it has been determined to be malignant. Like many of you who have dealt with medical issues, the answers have not come as quickly or been as clear as I would have liked,” he said.

“There are additional complexities to my condition for which we’re still awaiting results. I have no doubt that God has placed me in the hands of a well-trained medical team, but they’ve been honest that the road ahead will not be easy,” he added. “The treatment plan hasn’t been finalized, but at some point in the near future, it’s almost certain that I’ll have to step away from ministry for a time for treatment, major surgery, and an extended recovery.”

According to the National Foundation for Cancer Research, most stomach cancer cases in the U.S. are usually diagnosed late because early-stage tumors often cause no symptoms or have issues like indigestion or acid reflux, which causes patients and doctors to delay probing further. There is also no widespread routine test for gastric cancer in America because the symptoms only appear after the cancer has reached an advanced stage.

“After over two months of processing my condition with trusted mentors and prayer partners, I knew it was time to let our entire church family know, so you can walk with us through this journey,” Strother explained as he invited the church to help him and his family pray.

“I didn’t want you to be surprised when you hear that I’ll be out of the pulpit for a while. I’m convinced our church is healthy, our leadership bench is deep, and I believe we have the spiritual maturity to weather any storm. Our church isn’t built around a single leader; our cornerstone is Christ,” he continued.

In addition to encouraging his congregation to pray and to stay in the Word, Strother asked them not to allow his illness to hinder the church’s vision.

“The mission of the church is too important,” he said. “I don’t want news of my illness to slow down our vision. I pray that God will use this season to keep building momentum at our campuses. If you’re not in a group, find one. Our group has already proved life-giving to us. If you’re not serving, now is the time to get involved — don’t wait any longer.”