co-lead Pastor, Courage Church

Jacob has been married to his wife Dawn for over ten years. They have four daughters and are raising them together in Southwest Detroit.

After getting married, the Bender's moved to Los Angeles where they were immediately hired at the Los Angeles Dream Center/Angelus Temple (2008) to be the Media Directors of the youth ministry. After only a few months they were transferred out of youth and into working for Angelus Temple under the leadership of Pastor Matthew Barnett, and eventually became the media directors for Dream Records, where they produced, directed and edited several music videos and other projects. 

They then moved to New York City (2011) to be a part of the recently planted New York Dream Center, under the leadership of Pastors Brad and Stella Reed, before accepting the call March of 2015 to be the Pastors of Courage Church in Detroit, MI. 

Jacob is a songwriter who loves stories, and takes the same approach to writing sermons as he does to any other art he has put together.