
I was raised in Tennessee on a small farm in the country. My father was a veterinarian, and he taught me to enjoy work, love family and serve Jesus. My brothers and I grew in faith as we saw God move in our home, family business, and community. I remember praying while hauling hay in the fields for the rain to stop before getting to our place so it wouldn’t ruin the crop. We watched the clouds gathering in the distance, and we could hear the rain nearby. The clouds hung on the edge of our field as we worked furiously to get the last bales, winters food for the animals, on the wagons, and into the barn. This taught me early in life that God cared about our daily tasks and our animals daily bread. My passion is to share the hope and practical side of trusting Jesus with those who want to learn.

The majority of my time has been spent inspiring and moving people to know God better. Jesus came personally into our world. I want to meet people right where they are like Jesus did: teaching, sharing the joyful message of God’s kingdom and healing.



Building the Church Next Door
After six years in Cincinnati, I had served as Youth Pastor, Small Groups, Associate Pastor and Acting pastor during the interim of our pastor’s retirement, I knew I wanted to be a lead pastor. After a year of prayer and consideration, we came to Columbus. There was a church that was struggling after the loss of their longtime pastor retired. We arrived and rolled up our sleeves and began to do the hard work of showing up week in and week out to teach, develop leaders and serve the community. We have seen the church grow from 110 people to over 900 in average weekly attendance. In the digital age, we are ministering to at least two thousand people regularly. Recently we invited our 529 volunteers to a gathering, they help us share Jesus as The Church Next Door here in Columbus, and around the world.

After four decades, I still believe that knowing Jesus is the most significant change a person can experience. I want to pass that on to a new generation of young leaders. I want to be a part of planting churches and meeting people right where they are. I see the church in new ways as technology grows and expands so will the message. If you know Jesus, you can be The Church Next Door, and the electronic media we have is useful and practical in delivering hope and new life.
