Our Story

Sojourn's beginnings were small, unimpressive, and a little bit strange. In the fall of 1999, we were just a small group of teens and young adults meeting in an apartment on Bardstown Road imagining what it would look like to gather together as a church in Louisville. Some of us were from the city, others from the country, and some were on the fringes of Louisville's subcultures.

In September of 2000, we started holding public services in the Highlands. But we attracted the "wrong crowd" for church - too young, too single, and too small - about 60 people in all. Ambitiously - and maybe foolishly - we wanted to stay in Louisville, a city already saturated with churches. We wanted to love and serve this city, to embrace this culture and yet transform it. We took the name "Sojourn" as a reminder that our gatherings, our mission in Louisville, and our place in this world was temporary. Many who looked at Sojourn back then were certain that it would not last.

Fortunately, God had good things in store. Not only did we last, but we kept growing. As we grew larger (and the old school building we renovated in downtown Louisville felt smaller), God provided the opportunity to start a new campus on the East End. In 2009, Sojourn East was born. Just one year after Sojourn East opened, a dying church on the outskirts of Jeffersontown approached the pastors and presented a staggering offer - take our building and restart our church.

With a few pastors and about 15 people, Sojourn J-Town was planted in September of 2010. Lisle Drury, a longtime youth pastor in Oldham County, became the lead pastor a few months later. Our church's desire is to reach J-Town and our neighboring communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are a church that deeply values relationships, learning and growing alongside one another, building into kids and students, and equipping each person to be a faithful and loving presence of Jesus in their homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and beyond.

If you live in the Louisville or J-Town area, we would be thrilled to see you on Sunday, to learn your name, and welcome you into the life of our church. There is a place for you!