Nice to meet you! I am just an ordinary guy – someone who was living for happiness and success – when I heard about the eternal hope and joy that comes from faith in Jesus.
I was a kid who regularly attended church… but I had never heard anything like it. It was a BIG change from all the things I thought I had to do to go to heaven. Jesus said, “It is finished.” I just had to trust Him!
It has been an ongoing journey since then. At times I feel like an absolute wretch! But God promised me that I can be “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). He’s still hard at work on me!
During my two years at the University of Iowa, the discipleship I received was priceless. I learned a lot about the Bible, grew deeper in my relationship with Jesus, and became passionate about ministry. I went on to Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa, where I received my BA and MA in Biblical Studies.
During my college discipleship and training, I served in children’s ministry, college ministry, and international ministry. I am thankful for the wisdom I gleaned from serving alongside excellent leaders. My most intensive learning opportunities were from two summer-long mission trips to Japan, an internship in international ministry, and an internship in young adult ministry.
I love serving the Lord, and I am constantly learning how much I don’t know, as I serve as the pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Laurel. God is good! What a privilege to serve Him!
I married my gorgeous wife, Diane, in 2009. She is a loving mother, an amazing photographer, a talented cook, and gifted writer. We have three high-energy sons – Samuel, Nathanael, and Michael. They love balls, cars, bikes, Transformers, reading, coloring, singing, and Jesus. They keep life interesting, and we treasure sleep as a rare commodity.