Matt Jernigan

• Tabor City native Matt Jernigan will emcee the “True Freedom Fest,” a festival featuring music, comedy and more this weekend at the Boys and Girls Home Exhibition Center.

By WALLYCE TODD
Staff Writer

No profanity. No toilet humor. No vulgarity. No sexual innuendos. No racial insensitivity. That’s what “clean comedy” is about to Matt Jernigan, a professional performer born in Tabor City but residing in “the city of Angels” (Los Angeles) in California.

Depending on one’s perspective, a question might be raised about whether the angels calling that city home bring darkness or light to the lives around them.

For Matt, the answer is clear as he tells how he became a comic specializing in this truth: “It doesn’t have to be crude to be comedy.”

The father of four, including a son, daughter and two stepsons, cites his parents, Fred and Nancy Jernigan, as an important influence in why he chose not to entertain in the way many performers do these days.

“To begin with,” he said, “I didn’t want to offend anyone, especially if my mom came to my show. I grew up in church, and understood that using foul language was offensive to God.

“When I got a comedy agent (after living in L.A about a year or two) and started getting work, it was in schools, churches, colleges, and corporate events. Most of them expected clean comedy.”

Matt continued: “In the clubs in L.A. (The Comedy Store, Improv, Laugh Factory), I noticed that most comics had lots of offensive material, and it was part of their act to shock people. They also think they should have freedom of speech, so they push it even further.

“When I got more serious about my faith, I started understanding the power of what we say.

“In a split second, we can say something that hurts deep to the heart of someone, and lasts forever. Sometimes even without trying. We need to be so careful with the language we use.

“The Bible talks about how destructive the tongue can be, like a small match can burn hundreds of thousands of acres. The Bible says it is full of deadly poison (James 3:5-12).

“What especially hit me in this passage is when it talks about using our mouths to bless God or lift praises to Him, yet with the same mouth we curse others.”

The California-based comedian and church music worship leader concluded: “This ought not to be. As a follower of Christ, the last thing that I ever want to do is look like or sound like I’m living a double life. Our words and actions should resemble Christ’s.”

Matt comes from a musical family.

His sister, Anne Jernigan, is the youth music director at Tabor City Baptist Church. Another sister, Linda Jernigan Jordan, is church pianist.

Anne, Linda and 67 others from the church just returned last night (Sunday) from a week-long mission trip that took them to Matt’s L.A. church to help with Kids Camp and on into Mexico to be a partner with “The Way Ministries” at a one-day Bible camp for children in Tijuana.

Matt, Anne and Linda are only three of eight of Fred and Nancy’s children – five boys and three girls.
A 1987 Tabor City High graduate, Matt attended East Carolina University, graduating in 1992.

He’s now married to Shellie, and they parent Kyle (18), Austin (17), Luke (6) and Presley (4).

Song parodies accompanied by his guitar, impressions of singers and actors, piano playing, if one is onstage, and even a bit of dancing make up a good portion of Matt’s comedy routines.

During True Freedom Fest, Matt will emcee between the performances of Hawk Nelson, Newsong, Flights from Egypt and Todd Agnew, as well as the appearance of evangelist Jamey Ragle.

He said he was really looking forward to being a part of his cousin, George Wooten’s, vision for the community around Columbus. “I am excited about what God is already doing (through the concert events) and what He is going to do.”
Matt added: “Personally, I’ve recently been learning about the freedom that I have in Christ, and that it was for freedom that we’ve been set free (John 8:32) … Freedom from all that binds us to this world. Praise God.”

As the 38-year-old performer reflected on his life’s path, he said: “It took me about eight years of doing standup comedy to really enjoy the fullness of it. Now I’m excited by it, because I do it for God.

“I’m amazingly blessed to perform, make people laugh, sing and play, and share my faith through my job. We are all called to this. God should be in everything we do.

“It may be the hardest thing we ever do, but to simply know the God of the Bible is reward enough. A small-town boy (2,500 population), one of eight, wife and family of his dreams, living in LA, doing standup comedy, blessed out of his mind ... Only God could plan that. Who woulda thunk it?”