I am blessed beyond belief to have the privilege of being a pastor. I love being with people and seeing them grow and change, to face suffering with resilience. It is such a special gift to be with people in the most intimate moments of their life and see them encounter Jesus. I also love communicating about and leading others to Jesus, and letting all that is amazing, awe inspiring, and good about Him shine through my brokenness. I believe it is important for me to lead out of my brokenness and put my brokenness on display to magnify how good and powerful Jesus is. The apostle Paul stated, “Jesus came to save sinners of whom I am the worst.” I truly believe this about myself. And, I believe people are invited to step out of their own darkness and shame into the light of God’s perfect love when they see someone up front or someone in a position of authority vulnerably displaying their weaknesses along the journey of transformation.
I love being part of something so much bigger than myself. Jesus started a movement 2000 years ago and it is nothing less than the salvation of humanity. The language of multiplication really expresses for me the nature of Jesus’ movement. This stirs in me the passion for multiplying disciples of Jesus, developing leaders, and planting churches ethnically and geographically so that all people from all nations can be saved and transformed. The eternal destiny of humanity, of our neighbors is at stake.
For this reason, I particularly love being a pastor in Worthington, MN. Heaven is described as a place where people from every tribe, tongue, and nation worship Jesus together. Only Jesus can break down the dividing walls that separate us by skin color, language, culture, gender, etc. In Worthington, I get to be a part of seeing a foretaste of Heaven on earth as we at Grace pursue being a church of all nations, because of Jesus.
History
My roots are Southern, but I spent the majority of my life in rural South Central Nebraska (Kearney, NE). In 2008, My family and I moved to Minnesota, and in August 2011 I began ministry as the Senior Pastor of Grace Community Church. I am blessed by my wonderful wife Jane and we have two sons, Ian and Xander. After having Ian, my wife and I struggled through secondary infertility and multiple miscarriages. God opened our hearts to the gift of adoption and we have been blessed to welcome our son Xander into our hearts and home.
Interests and Hobbies
I love to be with Jane, Ian and Xander playing sports, being outdoors, or playing strategy games. I still love to play Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, Disc Golf, Tennis, Softball, etc. I also enjoy deep conversations on topics of philosophy, organizational leadership, or theology, with a tasty beverage of course. I am a big fan of college football; I have a split allegiance between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. And don’t forget food! I love to grill, smoke, roast coffee, make salsa and hot sauce.
Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.