Biography

Missions and discipleship, those two things have been passions of mine during my years in youth ministry, serving as a youth pastor in various churches, and now as a coordinator for the First Year Missions program.  I love to see students growing in their walk with the Lord and then reaching out to others and sharing what God has given them.

Growing up in a Christian home, I had the priviledge of being taught the Word of God and given living examples of how the Word is lived out through the life of my parents.  My dad was a pastor all my growing up years, which meant I was in church about 3 or 4 times a week.  We lived right across the street from the church, so it was practically my second home.  But even though I was given that instruction and example, my life wasn’t always what it should have been.  I enjoyed it when I heard that pastor’s kids were the worse kids and tried to live up to it, much to my parents dismay.

But God got a hold of my life when I was 16 years old.  I came to the point where I realized that my life was heading in the wrong direction.  I was only living for myself and wasn’t even sure if I had a relationship with Christ.  I commited my life to Him at that time and thus began my relationship with Him.

As I entered college I thought I was going into the business world.  I entered Bryan College in Dayton, TN as a business major, but God had other plans for me.  After my freshman year, I realized that the business world was not where God wanted me, but rather the full-time ministry world.  I graduated from Bryan with a Bible degree and went on to Grace Seminary in Winona Lake, IN to get my Master of Divinity degree.

While in seminary, I met this beautiful, vibrant, red head who later became my wife.  Vicki was a freshman at Grace College and worked in the kitchen, where I was on staff.  I was her boss for a while until the relationship developed, then they wouldn’t let us work together.  We got engaged about a year later and got married the summer after her sophomore year, then she became my boss :).

While in seminary, God led us to a church to work with the youth.  God was calling us both into youth ministry and we began by serving as the Senior High directors at Calvary Baptist Church.  We had some great times there at Calvary and still have some great friends there.  That’s where we got our start in youth ministry.  And I say we because Vicki and I have always served together.  Even though I was the one the churches hired over the years, Vicki has been an important part of every single ministry.

During my years in youth ministry I have had some amazing times and have seen God do incredible things in the lives of students.  I have had the priviledge of serving in churches in Petersburg, IN, Ft. Wayne, IN, Montvale, NJ and Lakeville, MN.  I have been able to work under some Godly men who challenged and stretched me in my faith and ministry.  I have been able to have a part in shaping many students lives, impacting them and challenging them in their walk with the Lord.  Many of those students we are still in touch with today and some have even joined our support team.  What a blessing!

And now God has lead us to come on staff with Adventures in Missions.  We joined the staff in September of 2005 after 21 years of youth ministry.  We are heading up the First Year Missions program, a 9 month program designed to disciple college-aged students in a mission context.  We send these students out in groups of 12 to places around the world, ministering to the poorest of poor.  And while they are ministering to these people, we have a leadership team who are ministering to and discipling them.  When I first heard about this ministry, Vicki and I both knew that this was where God would want us to serve in.  It totally fit our passions.

So, that my life.  Vicki and I will be married for 24 years this June.  We have 2 boys who love the Lord and love music.  Our 16 year old plays guitar in the worship band in his youth group and our 13 year old is taking drum lessons so he can play in the worship band in a few years.  My desire is to see them grow to be godly men who love the Lord and impact the kingdom of God.