Pastor Josh and his wife Kristen were both saved at early ages and brought up in Christian homes across the country from each other. Pastor was born and raised in the Seattle area. Kristen was born in Los Angeles but shortly after birth her family moved to New Hampshire. Both Pastor and Kristen felt that God had called them into the full time ministry, even as children. When they both met at Pensacola Christian College during their freshman year, it was their desire to serve the Lord in full time ministry that brought them together.

After graduation, they moved to Virginia where they worked in two different churches. Pastor Josh was on the pastoral staff at the Fairfax Baptist Temple when God called the Zuray’s to the West Coast to start a church. It was during several church planting trips while working with FBT teens that God began to cultivate a burden to go and start a church in a needy area. After much prayer and searching, God lead the Zurays to Issaquah, Washington, in February of 2003, and confirmed His desire to have a church started in this city.

On August 10, 2003, after selling their home and moving across the country, the Zuray’s and two other families started Abide Baptist Church. The name Abide comes from John 15:4-5. The underlying theme of the church is that this church is God’s church and we must Abide in Him and He in us. For, as the verse teaches, “without Him we can do nothing.”

The Zurays have 4 children; Anna, the oldest; Abigail, the second; Lydia, the third; and David, the youngest.