Jack Nordgren

Jack was born and raised on the South side of Chicago. At the ripe young age of 15 he absolutely fell, head over heels, in love with surfing. His friends asked him to try out their boards while on summer vacation in Michigan. He then became as he terms it, a surf-a-holic. He ate, breathed, and lived surfiing.

After high school, to avoid the draft, he joined the Navy. There he spent almost 2 years aboard a nuclear submarine. During that time he married his high school sweetheart but also began to experiment with drugs. Through a series of heart-wrenching events he came to the end of his perverbial rope. He then began reading the Bible. God revealed Himself to Jack and he asked Jesus to take over his whole life. His whole included everything... except his surfboard.

The day came when he even gave that to God. Then God really messed him up. He led Jack and his family to a ministry in Waikiki Beach.

In 1984, a small Bible study of ex-drug dealers and users, under Jack's leadership became Hope Chapel South Shore. After 22 years of pastoring and surfing in Waikiki Beach, the Lord led Him and his wife back to Michigan to plant another church on a different beach.

This beach is called WEKO Beach. Its in Bridgman MI on the shores of Lake Michigan. He is now 60 years old and he says he hasn't surfed for a long time. Its been two days now and he can't wait to get out again. Jack and his wife Maree have 3 sons. Two of them are Pastors and the other is a Youth director.