I come from a long line of preachers. Ministry has always been part of my life. I began preaching at Higdon Christian Church in southeastern Missouri in 1997 as a student at St. Louis Christian College. Following my wedding to my college sweetheart, Andrea, we moved to southern Illinois where I preached at Red Brush Christian Church for 18 years. In 2017, we moved south with our three kids, Lauren, Livia and Liam to work with Journey Christian Church. Towards the beginning of the pandemic, Andrea was diagnosed with cancer. She succumbed to the disease some months later. From the ashes, God has brought new life. Following a time of grief, my kids recommended that I consider a relationship with Elizabeth Swafford. God brought us together in 2023 with her three girls, Adeline, Hadley and Hannah, making us a family of eight. None of us thought our story would be what it is. But despite deep sorrow, God has provided a way for each of us to experience joy again! We can attest to the truthfulness of Psalm 34:18, 'The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.'

I graduated from Johnson Bible College (now Johnson University) in 1988 with a degree in Bible and a minor in Homiletics. I spent 25+ years with BP Oil Co. and retired in 2014. During those years I was an active member and lay leader in the local church. After retiring I started my second career as the Athletic Director at Cherokee Christian School, eventually moving into the Director of Operations Role. God opened the door for me to come on staff full time at Journey as Executive Pastor, and I am very excited about the marvelous work that God has been doing here at JCC. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in the future. I have been married to my wife Lori for 35 years and we have 5 adult children.

Youth ministry has been a passion of mine for 12 years now. My entire professional career has been dedicated to helping students find out who they are in the Lord, and training them to help others understand God’s love for them. I am married to the love of my life, Rachel, and we have 3 amazing children (Brody, Logan, and Russell)

Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them'. As the children’s minister, it is an honor to come alongside parents and share Jesus with their children and watch their trust in him and his Word grow. I graduated from Johnson University with a double major in Bible and elementary education. While there, I met and married my husband, Dale. We have 5 adult children and 8 grandchildren. We love Jesus and hope you will come and fellowship with us at Journey!

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God!” -Psalm 100:2-3

I started leading worship at a summer church camp called Affirm in 2003. At this camp, I learned leading worship was not a performance but a way for everyone to use the Holy Spirit to make a Joyful Noise. In 2012, I joined the Church of the Messiah as the Youth Pastor, and in 2015, I started leading Worship again. I could not keep time, and the band refused to play many songs with me. I was getting in the way of the Lord’s music. Once I got out of the way, God took over! Over the years, I have learned we are all called to serve the Lord. Our Worship Team is doing just that - serving! I would love to connect with you about serving on the Worship team.

Journey Christian Church is a very special place to me and my family. I am passionate about people being changed by the transformative power of Jesus Christ! I love being able to combine my administrative talents and my background in financial management to help our organization run smoothly. I have an amazing husband and two incredible grown children. All three of them support every dream I pursue.

Call: (770) 993-4617