When I was born in 1973, I was born a child of God’s Covenant.  My mother and father brought me up in such a way that I knew the person of Jesus Christ just as I knew my neighbors and my teachers.  We read the Scriptures, attended church during the week, prayed as a family, and sang the Lord’s praises throughout my youth.  For many years I placed the moment of my assured salvation at a time when I prayed with our kindergarten PE instructor, Coach Young, to receive Jesus as my Savior.  It was a simple prayer of a 4-year-old boy and I still remember it quite clearly.  Today I see God’s sovereign hand at work not only in the prayer I prayed outside our Christian school gymnasium, but in every step that I have taken in life.  The Holy Spirit was with me as I left my parents home and went out into the world.  He guided me to new churches, to lost friends, to foreign countries, to the woman who would be my wife, and to my current work at the Center for Creative Leadership here in Greensboro, North Carolina.  Jesus Christ is my resurrected savior, my closest friend, and my Lord.

Our family life here in Greensboro is most clearly focused on our church, Covenant Fellowship, my work place, the Center for Creative Leadership, and my wife’s former work place, Caldwell Christian Academy.  Our church provides us a safe haven for Christian fellowship, for worship, and for edification through the Word.  We go out from our church as servants of God and all of our work is done for His glory.  Neither my wife nor I have relatives in Greensboro.  However, in our church we have been provided with brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, and I see that the bond of Christ can be stronger than even the greatest of family bonds.

For the last eight years I have been one of our worship leaders at church.  God has used my gifts with the guitar and singing to draw others into worship.  My wife and I have written several hymns and spiritual songs during this time.  Each Wednesday night I lead a cell group of five families in prayer, worship, and Bible study.  This cell shepherding has been both a joy and burden for prayer as we have ministered to the lives of these close friends in times of blessing and in times of great need.  This past September I was ordained in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and I am now serving on our session as a ruling elder of our congregation.  In this capacity I have been able to assist with both the pastoral and operational needs of our church.

I am working on a Masters of Divinity so that I might be further equipped to serve the Lord.  I want to know the Bible so that I might be a better teacher and leader in my home for my wife, Alyssa, and our sons, Miles and Liam.  I aim to improve my apologetic response so that I can fulfill the command of scripture and “always be prepared to offer a reason for the hope that is within me”.  My desire is also that this study will allow me to be ready to move into other ministries as God continues to open doors in the future. 

The vision that I have for ministry is that I would always be an active member of the body of Christ.  I want to serve others in response to and flowing from the love that God has so generously poured out on me.  In addition to this vision there is a call.  I have been gifted with leadership and with discernment.  My pastor, Elders, family, and friends tell me that I am blessed with the ability to lead in the church.  I see that these observations from those I trust are true and in response to this I aim only to take the next step in order to be used by God in new ways.

I believe in the sovereignty of God.  I see in scripture that God is all knowing, that He is not bound by place or by time, and that He is all powerful.  I believe that God, the Father Almighty, is creator of heaven and earth.  The earth and everything in it was created from nothing and was created for God’s own glory.  I believe in the Trinity – that is, believe in one God the Father, Jesus Christ His only son our Lord, and in the Holy Ghost, our counselor and comforter.  I believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary.  Jesus was not born of the seed of Adam, through which sin has been passed since the fall of man.  Jesus lived a sinless life and though tempted in every way as we are; He was able to offer His life up as the perfect sacrifice.  I believe that Jesus was crucified, that He died and was buried, and that on the third day he was resurrected from the dead.  Because of His sacrificial death and the truth of His resurrection we, who were separated from God because of our sin, can be forgiven by the blood of Christ which covers the sins of all those who place their life in Him.  I believe that Christ will return as King to judge and to rule and I look forward to that great day and pray for the speed of His coming.

My hope is that the clarity with which I communicate these beliefs can be greatly improved by the continued study of theology over the years to come.  I can see that the academic pursuit of theology will greatly improve my teaching and my occasional preaching.  Most of all I know that the time I spend reading God’s Word will draw me closer to Him.  I look forward to the deeper and closer relationship that will be built as a result of my ongoing seminary training.