Blake Odgers Credits LCA for Kingdom City Church Launch
On September 14, 2025, Kingdom City Church launched in Atlanta. Lead pastor Blake Odgers (LCA Class of 2014) said the church would not exist without Loganville Christian Academy. During his four years as a Lion, Blake points to individuals such as Mark Davis, Ken Sirmans, Andrew Martin and others who helped shape his calling. He credits Sirmans with giving him his first ministry job at Journey Church Loganville. Through each of these influences, Blake says the LCA family provided the foundation upon which he planted Kingdom City Church.
“LCA became a space of transformation for me. They may not have necessarily thought they were doing this Earth-shaking thing,” Blake said, “but there’s literally a church in Atlanta, Georgia right now that would not be there if it wasn’t for them.”
Blake’s journey toward becoming a pastor and church planter began on LCA’s campus. He enrolled as a freshman in the spring of 2010. During his time at LCA, he served as president of the Student Government Association, captain of the basketball team and a Chapel speaker. After graduation, he moved to the city to attend Georgia State University (GSU) located in the heart of downtown Atlanta. During that season, he felt prompted to search the New Testament, specifically the book of Acts, where he saw the Lord’s clear emphasis on the local church. It was that combination—studying the New Testament and living in the city—that clarified and deepened his calling.
“He really captivated my heart for the mission of Jesus in the city,” Blake said. “I think that's the whole reason I ever even had any kind of time in college was honestly for God to get me to a new context so that I could really be confronted by darkness and brokenness and see that God wanted to use my life and use his church to ultimately take the gospel and the power of Jesus to those broken spaces and places.”
Today, Blake dedicates his life to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ — his favorite part of ministry. He enjoys discipling believers, counseling individuals, officiating weddings, leading baby dedications and serving as a full-time missionary and pastor. At the same time, he acknowledges the burden and loneliness that can accompany the calling. Still, certain memories remain etched in his mind, reminding him of his “why” when the load feels heavy or the road grows long.
One of those moments came full circle at the launch of Kingdom City Church.
While serving as a college and young adult pastor, Blake met a young autistic man named Jackson. Blake noticed that many people did not take the time to engage with him, so he stepped in. He intentionally loved Jackson and encouraged others to do the same. Because Jackson is autistic, his mom drove him everywhere. When she moved to Florida, Jackson moved with her.
Some time later, at the official launch of Kingdom City Church, Jackson walked through the doors with his mom and his new stepdad to support Blake and his church. A few weeks after the first service, Jackson’s stepdad, Jeff, asked to meet with Blake. Jeff shared that he had been out of church for 35 to 40 years but was ready to return. He gave his life to Jesus and now serves in various ways at Kingdom City Church. Witnessing that long-term fruit is something Blake will not soon forget.
“There are just so many stories like that where God just does these extraordinary things,” Blake said. “But it never feels extraordinary at the moment. It's just through ordinary faithfulness like loving a guy who can be difficult to love or hosting a group in your apartment and pouring into them through a Bible study or sharing the gospel with somebody in the middle of a work day. And then God does these amazing things and creates these generational ripple effects just through ordinary faithfulness, which is what I love.”
Blake has been married to his wife, Katie, since 2020. They have one son together named Asa. Blake graduated from LCA in May 2014, but he remains actively involved at his alma mater. This semester — Spring 2026 — he returned to speak at Upper School Chapel. On Jan. 21, he shared from the book of Jude and encouraged students to embrace their calling for such a time as this. He challenged the campus to invest in this generation of believers, just as previous generations invested in them.
When asked to offer advice to current students, Blake shared several insights. He encouraged them to see themselves as part of something bigger and not to delay their purpose as a “later” idea simply because they are young. Yet his primary encouragement reflected his own journey from LCA to today.
“You have all of these amazing people who are resources to you and are there to invest in you, who want to know what they’re doing matters,” Blake said. “My encouragement is to take them up on it. Ask the questions, allow them to pour into your life and shape you. Submit to it, appreciate it, and enjoy it. I know I’m thankful I did.”