Clay Maranville

When he graduated from Linfield in 2017, Clay Maranville didn’t have a clear picture of what he wanted to do with his life. So after his freshman year at a college in Arizona, he moved back home and took junior college classes, worked, and read his Bible. But it was during that time that the Lord began speaking to him, changing his heart, and giving him a desire to go into ministry. He followed the Lord’s leading and ultimately earned a degree in Theology at California Baptist University while interning at a church in Riverside. Today he serves in full-time ministry as the middle school pastor at Orchard Church in Murrieta. Clay is married to his best friend, Christine, and he likes staying active and doing things that strengthen his resolve physically and spiritually. He even completed a half Ironman last year! 

When he thinks back on his years at Linfield, Clay remembers serving at LINK, coaching elementary flag football, and even dressing up as the mascot for an elementary book fair. He playfully notes that he and his friends would often fish in the pond at lunch and after school. In fact, one time they caught a fish and brought it into Coach Burns’ office as a prank. “He can’t stand fish for some reason,” Clay laughs. “But I think he’s just a big teddy bear on the inside.”

Ultimately, Clay remembers that Linfield changed His life because it was at Winter Mountain during his freshman year when he accepted Jesus as his Savior. He says, “I remember like it was yesterday. We were worshipping; I had my hands raised, and it was the first time I had ever really felt God’s presence. I committed my life to Jesus at that camp, and since that moment, it has been a slow journey of being transformed and renewed every single day by the grace of God. Linfield also taught me discipline and hard work. Coach Burns always demanded our best and pushed me to the absolute limit during football. It was rough in the summer heat, but looking back, I’m so grateful because it really prepared me for life. But the biggest impact was from the Linfield community. It was the first time in my entire life that I felt genuinely cared for by teachers. I had weekly check-ins with Mrs. Carroll and Mr. Iacoboni, and it wasn’t a casual thing. I could tell they were taking a genuine interest in my life and in my walk with Jesus, and because of the way they invested in that relationship, we are still good friends to this day. I even serve alongside Mr. Iacoboni at church now. I can say that one of the biggest factors in helping me come to Christ is because I felt the love of Jesus through Linfield’s faculty and through my friendships with the other guys on the football team.”