Clay Cooke was born and raised in small town North Carolina, where he received a B.A. in Religious Studies from North Carolina State University in 2004. He completed his Master of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary in March 2010, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Ethics and Historical Theology. Clay currently serves on staff at his church, Grace Pasadena.

Clay and his wife, Bekah, live in Pasadena, CA, where they enjoy the beautiful weather, cultural diversity, and Korean barbecue. Clay's daughter, Ever, was born July 11, 2010.