Jeff Hoglen
About Jeff Hoglen - Speaking

About Me

Pastor, Church Planter, Leadership Coach, Author

My Story

I'm Jeff Hoglen — pastor, church planter, leadership coach, author, and missionary. For more than two decades, my passion has been simple and relentless: multiply disciples, multiply leaders, multiply churches.

My wife Tonya and I moved to the Philippines as missionaries with a dream to build something that would outlive us. Today, I serve as the senior pastor of RockFish Church Philippines and lead initiatives focused on church planting, leadership development, and sustainable ministry growth across the region and beyond.

Tonya and I are also deeply involved in compassion ministry, including supporting vulnerable young women through Adonai Home. Ministry to us is not theory — it's people, names, stories, and long obedience in the same direction.

What I Do

Pastor

I lead with a heart for spiritual formation, practical teaching, and building healthy church culture. I believe church should be biblically grounded, mission-driven, and outward-focused.

Church Planter

I've helped launch and coach church plants in multiple contexts. I'm passionate about sustainable models — not hype-driven launches, but long-term, reproducible movements that transform communities.

Leadership Coach

Through ChurchPlanting.com and live trainings, I equip pastors, church leaders, and emerging planters with tools that bridge the gap between theory and real-world ministry. I help leaders close the gap between what they feel called to build and what they're actually building week to week.

Author & Speaker

I've written books including Church Planting Done Different, Reach Out – 77 Ways to Ignite Your Church's Missions, Ministry is Messy: A Pastor's Guide to Difficult Situations, and Basics of the Christian Faith. My writing and speaking style is practical, direct, and faith-filled — focused on clarity, courage, and calling.

My Leadership Philosophy

  • •Obedience over comfort. Following God's calling requires sacrifice and courage.
  • •Faithfulness over flash. Sustainable ministry is built on consistency, not charisma.
  • •Systems matter. Culture matters more. Structure enables growth, but culture sustains it.
  • •Calling must be tested, confirmed, and sustained. Leadership is a marathon, not a sprint.
  • •The mission grows at the speed of leadership development. Invest in people, and the movement multiplies.

I believe the Church doesn't need more noise — it needs more healthy leaders. Because the goal isn't just to build a church. It's to build leaders who build churches that build the Kingdom.

Experience & Education

Current Roles

  • RockFish Church – Philippines
    Senior Pastor (2022–Present)
  • Churchplanting.com
    CEO (2018–Present)
  • Open Arms International Ministries
    Founder / International Director (2000–Present)

Education

  • Doctorate of Ministry (D.Min)
    Missions, Evangelism, & Church Growth (2021)
  • Master of Ministry (M.Min)
    (2019)
  • Master's Degree
    Christian Education (2004)
  • Bachelor's Degree
    Counseling (2000)

Certifications & Affiliations

  • • Dynamic Church Planting International – Certified Trainer
  • • Church Answers Certification in Church Revitalization
  • • Sam Chand Leadership Institute
  • • John Maxwell Certified Coach, Trainer, and Speaker
  • • Grow Network – Chris Hodges
  • • DOVE International – Lititz PA (ordination)
  • • Evangel Fellowship International (ordination)
  • • One Degree Mentoring Program – Kevin Gerald