John E. Girton, Jr. (aka Pastor G) is a serial solo-repreneur, urban servant leader, community pastor, author, and seasoned communications executive who has served in higher education for over two decades. A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, his focus is strengthening his community through grass-roots servant leadership efforts. His wide-ranging community impact is evident through various civic and social media engagements.   Before assuming his current role as Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff with Martin University, Girton was a Journalism and Communications instructor at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee. He was later named the university’s first Creative Media Services Director in 2007. After moving back to Indiana in 2009, he became the first to teach the dual-curriculum program of Journalism and Telecommunications at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He has also instructed students in various areas of media, marketing, communications, and instructional design at ITT Technical Institute and The First Amendment Center’s Freedom Forum on the Vanderbilt University campus in Nashville.   Pastor Girton holds a B.S. in communications from Ball State University and an M.A. in Urban Ministry Studies from Martin University. He has also had advanced studies at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Travecca Nazarene University, and Tennessee State University.    As the former lead pastor of the historic Christ Missionary Baptist Church and founder of the UniteForChange.org movement, Girton galvanized the city of Indianapolis with his 30-day Tent Campaigns by raising awareness of the victims of senseless violence as well as bringing faith, political, business, and philanthropic leaders together to unite for positive change in his city. His virtual Urban Servant Leadership annual Un-conference series, FORWARD Magazine, and Community Conversations virtual livestream empowered hundreds of servant leaders to activate their gifts within their communities.   He’s married to LaWanda Girton and has three wonderful children.