Our Story
Raised in Pittsburgh, PA, and an Alum of Howard University, I (Tommy, Thomas Claiborn IV) met and courted my Love, Candace, a first-generation American of Jamaican descent and raised in Atlanta, GA, as college students while she attended George Washington University. We knew from our first date that not only were we attracted to one another, but that we could truly build a marriage of purpose, mission, and legacy together. We were so sure of this, that we started a blog and compiled a book entitled, “B.L.O.G. to Marriage”, journaling our sexual purity experience while courting, so we could share and encourage others on a similar journey.
We courted for two and a half years before being established in marriage in July of 2009 in a beautiful outdoor, movie themed- ceremony in Atlanta, GA with a bridal party of 20 (yes, you heard that right!).
After thirteen years of living in the DC|Maryland| Virginia area, we chose to move across the country to serve with a church plant team as full time modern day missionaries in Phoenix, Arizona developing the children’s ministry, cultivating local community relationships, and strategically growing and serving teams within the church.
Not too long after our move to Phoenix,our family began to grow. We birthed our only daughter, Wisdom in 2016, our son Cyrus in 2018, and our final baby boy,Thomas V (the fifth) in 2020.
Our move to Phoenix may have begun with the planting of a church, but quickly evolved with the vision of revealing the glory of our Creator outside of the four walls of the brick and mortar church.
On our day of sacred rest, you’ll often find us enjoying a movie together or simply exploring the outdoors. We, House of Clai, invite you to build with us as God continues to shape our legacy and yours to reveal His glory .
Our Children
"Wisdom Prepares"
"Cyrus be Great"
"Thomas seeks Truth"
Our Values
Remember who you are! Be who you are wherever you are.
Being a part of a Beloved Community – embracing our collective story.
Heritage: Looking back to better move forward; assessing best practices and patterns.
Governance: Building from our Core and Centering the Beginning of Civilization.
Character Development: We live in a space of continual improvement. The image of God is the character that we are aiming towards. We strip off all that hinders us from living on mission.
