Geoff Eckart lives in Grand Rapids, MI with his wife Arianna. Together they have three hazel eyed daughters and one grandson. 

Geoff is the Lead Pastor of Daybreak Church in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also the founder and CEO of Never The Same, a national youth ministry he founded in 2009. In 2023, Eckart became the Chairman of the Executive Board of National Prayer Committee and the National Day of Prayer Task Force. 

Geoff is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Master’s degree from Cornerstone Seminary. 

Geoff has founded:

NTS Camp in 2000

Claim Your Campus in 2003

Never The Same in 2009

The Grand Rapids Mud Run in 2010

Soul Exercises in 2013

Explorers in 2022. 

In 2020, Geoff walked the brutal Trail of Death, a forced removal of Potawatomi Native Americans in 1838. As a result of his walk, 35 United States Governors on May 6, 2021, issued apologies to First Nation’s peoples for America’s broken treaties. The Justice Trail is a documentary about Geoff’s walk and what happened as a result. He has written a book also titled The Justice Trail. 

Geoff loves adventure. He has bungee jumped in New Zealand, went sky diving, and is an amateur land sailer. He enjoys treks on his dual sport motorcycle. 

Born named “Jeff,” he changed his name to “Geoff” as a result of his experience on the Trail of Death and as a tribute to his late father’s wishes, Creston Eckart.