Chris grew up in NE Florida, near St. Augustine, playing football and going to the beach. He met his wife Jenni there in 1996. Pastor Chris worked as an ocean lifeguard for seven seasons from 1991-98. During the time period of meeting Jenni in 1996, Pastor Chris was in the process of giving full control of his life to the Lord. The Lord moved Pastor Chris to Orlando, Florida, where he spent 6 months at Sea World as an animal trainer, where it was confirmed that this was not what the Lord had in mind.  He started working at a reform residential school for boys, where the Lord started shaping him for ministering to students. A year later, Pastor Chris and Jenni got married and moved back to St. Augustine, Florida. They found a church and started serving in the youth ministry. After about 6 months, he was asked to lead it, and a few months later he was invited to join the church staff part-time, while attending community college. Pastor Chris was on staff for about 3 years, during which time they had their first baby, Hope. Through events in their lives, the Lord led Pastor Chris to leave the church and go to school to become better equipped for ministry.

 

In December of 2001 they moved from St. Augustine, Florida to Columbia, South Carolina to attend Columbia International University. He graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Family and Church Education with an emphasis on youth, Bible and a minor in Outdoor Leadership. During this time the Ledley family also had a son named Caleb. Pastor Chris joined the staff at Sandhills in a part-time youth position in the summer of 2002. Upon graduation in 2004, he joined the Sandhills staff full-time - and along the way they added their youngest child, Anna.