Life Story

I grew up in Irving, Texas, with two Christ-loving parents who took my brother and me to church almost every time the doors were open. In 1971, when I was 8 years old, Texas Stadium (the home of the Dallas Cowboys at the time) hosted a Billy Graham crusade, and our family attended. I remember feeling drawn to Christ that night but I wanted to talk to my parents first. A few weeks later, I accepted Christ in my parents’ bedroom and was baptized a couple weeks later.

When I was young, my dad suffered from congestive heart failure and was in and out of the hospital. He had his first heart attack when I was only 4 and underwent multiple bypass surgery when I was 6. My dad, who received a purple heart in World War II, was a personal hero of mine. When he died from a heart attack when I was 12, my world caved in.

My middle school and high school years were filled with anger and bitterness toward the Lord and isolation from anyone who wanted to help. Graciously, the Lord continued to faithfully pursue me. And though my heart grew weak, it never stopped beating for Him. A series of events during my senior year once again brought me to the end of myself and re-awakened me to the gospel.

After graduating from Baylor University, I worked in the investment banking industry for several years. During that time, I served as a deacon at my church, as well as volunteered in the student ministry. In 1993, the Lord called me to full-time gospel ministry, and I have served as a pastor and a biblical counselor ever since.

My family has been attending The Village since 2009. My wife, Cristi, and I have been blessed to serve as Home Group leaders, Home Group coaches and Kids Village, Middle School Ministry and High School Ministry volunteers. We love The Village and desire to spend our lives serving here for as long as the Lord grants us.

Hope for The Village Church

My hope for The Village can best be expressed through the words of the apostle Paul, who prayed this for the believers in Ephesus, whom he dearly loved: “…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19