Clifford Young Jr. (known widely as Cliff Young) is an American pastor, trumpet player, counselor, and author based in Southern California.
He leads New Hope Christian Center in Lomita, California, as Lead Pastor, and he fronts the Christian worship group Cliff Young & Living Sacrifice.
Young built his career on three legs: music education, clinical counseling, and pastoral ministry, and all three still show up in how he preaches, teaches, and writes today.
Clifford Young Jr. at a Glance
| Full Name | Clifford Young Jr. |
|---|---|
| Also Known As | Cliff Young |
| Raised In | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Pastor, musician, counselor, author |
| Spouse | Robin Young |
| Children | Cliff III and Catheryn |
| Education | B.M. Music Education & Trumpet Performance (USC Thornton School of Music); M.M. Music Education (USC); M.A. Clinical Psychology (Pepperdine); M.Div. (Azusa Pacific, 2021); D.Min. (Azusa Pacific, 2023) |
| Ministry Title | Lead Pastor |
| Church | New Hope Christian Center, Lomita, California |
| Ordained | July 2017, by International Assemblies of the First Born, Inc. |
| Lead Pastor Since | January 6, 2019 |
| Music Ministry | Cliff Young & Living Sacrifice |
| Book | Christian Soul: Foundation Principles of Faith |
| Other Role | Board of Directors, Dallas Willard Ministries |
| Website | cliffordyoungjr.com |
Early Life and Background
Clifford Young Jr. was raised in Los Angeles, California. Music found him early. As a young man, he showed a strong pull toward church music and jazz, the kind of pull that shapes a whole career before you’re old enough to notice it happening.
Before he even started college, Young traveled with a University of Southern California group touring Europe as a jazz musician.
That early exposure to performing on a world stage set the tone for everything that came after. Music wasn’t a hobby for him. It was training ground.
Education and Musical Training
Young was accepted into the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, one of the most respected music programs in the country.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Trumpet Performance, then went back for a Master of Music Education from the same school.
His education didn’t stop at music. Years later, he added a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, followed by a Master of Divinity (2021) and a Doctor of Ministry (2023), both from Azusa Pacific University.
Four graduate-level credentials across music, counseling, and theology is a rare combination, and it explains why his preaching often sounds part sermon, part counseling session, part concert.
Career: From Music Educator to Counselor to Pastor
Young spent 12 years teaching music in the Garden Grove, Los Angeles, and Torrance school districts. Classroom teaching gave him the discipline and patience that still show up in how he structures a sermon or a devotional today.
Alongside teaching, he served as Choir Director and Audio Visual Director at Calvary Chapel South Bay in Gardena, California.
It was there, working with a congregation instead of a classroom, that Young decided to leave education behind and go into ministry full time.
That shift didn’t happen all at once. Young developed his passion for pastoral care in the counseling rooms of two churches: Calvary Chapel South Bay and Rolling Hills Covenant Church in Rancho Palos Verdes, where he also worked as assistant choir director and service leader.
Counseling people through real problems, one conversation at a time, is what pushed him toward clinical psychology and, eventually, toward full-time pastoral leadership.
Ministry Journey: Becoming Lead Pastor at New Hope Christian Center
Young received his minister’s license and ordination in July 2017 through International Assemblies of the First Born, Inc.
Two years later, on January 6, 2019, he became Lead Pastor of New Hope Christian Center in Lomita, California, alongside co-pastor Sam Fillon.
New Hope Christian Center describes itself as a Bible-based, multi-ethnic, multi-generational church serving the South Bay area of Southern California.
The church holds Sunday morning services at 9:30 a.m. and runs ministries covering prayer, children, worship, and outreach to men and women in the congregation.
Young also sits on the Board of Directors for Dallas Willard Ministries, a nonprofit built around the teaching legacy of philosopher and USC professor Dallas Willard.
Given that Young himself is a USC graduate, that connection tracks: both men share a background rooted in the same university, decades apart.
Cliff Young & Living Sacrifice: His Music Ministry
Music never left Young’s life once he became a pastor. Under the name Cliff Young & Living Sacrifice, he leads a Christian and gospel worship group based in Carson, California.
The group released the album Beauty Is to Worship in 2014, blending trumpet, choir, and gospel-influenced worship songwriting.
One thing worth clearing up: this is not the same act as the Christian metal band “Living Sacrifice” out of Little Rock, Arkansas, a group known for thrash and death metal since 1989.
Cliff Young’s Living Sacrifice is a separate worship and gospel project built around his own trumpet playing and choir background, not a metal outfit.
Worship music built this way, rooted in a leader’s own musical training, tends to carry a different weight than music written purely for the stage.
Christian Soul: His Book
Young is also the author of Christian Soul: Foundation Principles of Faith, available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with a free audio version offered through his website.
The book leans on his own definition of “soul” as the part of a person that reflects their Creator and connects with others, drawing from Genesis 1 as its starting point.
The book grew out of the same instincts that shaped his ministry: music that moves people, counseling that listens first, and preaching that connects doctrine to daily life instead of leaving it abstract.
Personal Life
Clifford Young Jr. lives in Southern California with his wife, Robin. They have two children, Cliff III and Catheryn.
Friends who know the family describe a home life built around hospitality, including a signature dish Young makes himself: black spaghetti, mentioned by name in the foreword of his own book.
Ministry Philosophy
Young’s ministry style pulls from three different disciplines at once. He teaches like a music educator, listens like a clinical counselor, and preaches like a pastor who wants doctrine to land in someone’s actual life, not just their notebook.
His weekly sermons and devotionals, published through his site as part of the “Cliff’s Notes” video series, tend to walk through practical questions: what it means to trust God, how to worship, what defines a Christian in daily terms rather than theory.
Interesting Facts
- Young toured Europe as a jazz musician with a USC group before he had even started college.
- He holds four graduate-level credentials across music, psychology, and theology: a rare mix for a working pastor.
- He sits on the board of Dallas Willard Ministries, tied to a fellow USC-connected theologian.
- His group’s name, Living Sacrifice, is shared by an unrelated Christian metal band from Arkansas, which regularly causes search confusion between the two.
- He offers a free audio version of his book directly through his own website.
Timeline
- Early years: Raised in Los Angeles; develops early passion for church music and jazz.
- Pre-college: Tours Europe with a USC group as a jazz musician.
- College years: Earns a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Trumpet Performance from USC Thornton School of Music, followed by a Master of Music Education, also from USC.
- 12 years: Teaches music in the Garden Grove, Los Angeles, and Torrance school districts.
- Ministry entry: Serves as Choir Director and AV Director at Calvary Chapel South Bay, Gardena, then decides to move into full-time ministry.
- Counseling training: Serves at Rolling Hills Covenant Church while earning a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine.
- 2014: Releases Beauty Is to Worship with Cliff Young & Living Sacrifice.
- July 2017: Ordained by International Assemblies of the First Born, Inc.
- January 6, 2019: Becomes Lead Pastor of New Hope Christian Center, Lomita, CA.
- 2021: Earns a Master of Divinity from Azusa Pacific University.
- 2023: Earns a Doctor of Ministry from Azusa Pacific University.
- Ongoing: Publishes Christian Soul: Foundation Principles of Faith; continues weekly sermons and devotionals through cliffordyoungjr.com; serves on the board of Dallas Willard Ministries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Clifford Young Jr.?
Clifford Young Jr., known as Cliff Young, is an American pastor, musician, and author. He leads New Hope Christian Center in Lomita, California, and fronts the worship group Cliff Young & Living Sacrifice.
Is Cliff Young related to the Christian metal band Living Sacrifice?
No. Cliff Young & Living Sacrifice is a separate Christian and gospel worship group from Carson, California. The Christian metal band Living Sacrifice formed in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1989 and has no connection to Cliff Young.
What church does Clifford Young Jr. pastor?
He serves as Lead Pastor of New Hope Christian Center, a Bible-based church in Lomita, California, a role he stepped into on January 6, 2019.
What is Cliff Young’s book about?
Christian Soul: Foundation Principles of Faith explores what it means for a person’s soul to reflect God and connect with others, drawing from Genesis 1 as a starting point for faith and identity.
Where did Clifford Young Jr. study?
He studied at the Thornton School of Music at USC, earned a clinical psychology degree from Pepperdine, and completed his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry at Azusa Pacific University.
Is Clifford Young Jr. married?
Yes. He is married to Robin Young, and the couple has two children, Cliff III and Catheryn.
References
About – Clifford Young Jr., cliffordyoungjr.com/about — Accessed September 4, 2026
Book – Clifford Young Jr., cliffordyoungjr.com/book — Accessed September 4, 2026
Pastor Cliff – New Hope Lomita, newhopelomita.com/pastor-cliff — Accessed September 4, 2026
New Hope Lomita homepage, newhopelomita.com — Accessed September 4, 2026
Music from Clifford Young Jr, Invubu Solutions Christian Music Archive, invubu.com — Accessed September 4, 2026
Cliff Young & Living Sacrifice, ReverbNation, reverbnation.com/cliffyoung — Accessed September 4, 2026
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