Jody was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario and came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ at 16 after being confronted with his need for a Saviour after his father was seriously injured in a fall.
During his university years, Jody led worship in both youth and campus ministries. He also ministered in South and Central America with YWAM and Campus Crusade for Christ. Upon returning from Costa Rica in 1987, Jody sensed a call to full-time vocational ministry and in 1988 Jody and Alexandra were married and he joined staff at Sunnyside Wesleyan Church in Ottawa. Jody continued at Sunnyside until 1993 when he and his wife felt God's call to complete an MDiv degree at Tyndale Seminary.
Upon graduation from Tyndale in 1995, Jody served as Tyndale's Worship Chapel Director. In January 1996, Jody began as co-teacher in the Worship and Liturgy course at the seminary. While at Tyndale, Jody learned the value of journeying together with other students pursuing God and His will. While the time of study was an academic pursuit, it was done in the context of relationships; professors and peers together engaged in the process of becoming better prepared servants of God.
In 1995 Jody sensed a strong call from the Lord to use his gifting and passion to equip the local church in the area of worship and began to travel to various churches conducting worship seminars. Jody joined the team at Orangeville Baptist Church as Associate Pastor of Worship and Small Group Ministries in 1997. Jody wrote and released his first worship CD, Made For You in December, 1998. In the summer of 2001, Jody was called to Barrie as Associate Pastor to help plant the first Canadian Harvest Bible Chapel. Jody released his second worship CD, Forward to Forever in May 2003.
In November 2003, Jody received three Covenant Awards at the CGMA's 25th Annual Awards event for Praise and Worship Album of the Year, Praise and Worship Song of the Year and Inspirational Song of the Year. Jody also received a Juno Award nomination and a Vibe Music nomination. Jody has appeared on 100 Huntley Street numerous times and his music is heard on Christian radio stations across Canada. He has also produced a weekly worship radio feature, Window into Worship, designed to stir believers to become lifestyle worshippers. He also released a worship CD, Rekindle, with the theme of revival taken from Psalm 85:6. The first radio single, "Show Us Your Glory" was aired across the nation.
Jody's heart is to equip the church for passionate worship. He regularly speaks on worship and trains younger worship leaders. Jody is a graduate of the Arrow Leadership Program and is working toward establishing a national Worship School to train a new generation of lead worshippers. Jody and his wife Alexandra have been happily married for over seventeen years and have four children aged six to twelve.