Our
STAFF
I was raised in the Willamette Valley of Oregon — Portland, Milwaukie, Oregon City, and Aurora — in a home with no Christian faith. Yet even then, God was at work. Through a troubled adolescence, He drew me toward Himself, and in the spring of my junior year of high school, in 1986, I came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. That encounter changed everything.
I went on to study at Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois, where two gifts awaited me: the woman who would become my wife, Karen, and a deepening clarity about my calling to ministry. Upon graduating in 1991, I enrolled at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, and began serving as an intern at Park Street Church in Boston — an experience that stretched across four rich years alongside the Senior Minister.
I completed my Master of Divinity in 1996 and accepted my first solo pastorate at a small congregation in suburban Chicago. Though my time there was brief — two years — it was formative. I am grateful for every hard lesson and every grace-filled moment it offered. In 1998, God led me to Lycoming Centre Presbyterian Church in North Central Pennsylvania, where I served for nearly twelve years. That long pastorate deepened my conviction that the gospel genuinely transforms lives — not as a theological abstraction, but as a living reality I witnessed again and again. In 2010, I was called to serve as Lead Pastor of Union Presbyterian Church in Robinson, Pennsylvania.
Along the way, I completed a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, in 2007. My dissertation focused on congregational renewal — specifically, how to develop and implement strategies for revitalization in the local church, a subject that remains close to my heart.
Karen and I have been blessed with two remarkable daughters, Olivia and Lily, and one beloved grandson, Luka.
But I am aware that none of these facts and figures — however meaningful — quite capture who I am. At the end of the day, I am a fairly ordinary man who adores his family and loves Christ's Church with his whole heart. I am a follower of Jesus who has been entrusted with a call to ministry and leadership — not because I have it all together, but because I know the One who does, and who, in His extraordinary grace, chooses to love us and believe in us anyway.
I am convinced that the Church is the primary agent of transformation in the world, and that we are far stronger together than we could ever be apart. That conviction is why I became a pastor, and it is why I remain one — with gratitude, with hope, and with great expectation for what God is still doing among His people.
Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda. Our God is faithful, and His purposes will not fail.
I am honored to serve as the Church Administrator and to support our congregation as we seek to serve our Lord together. I joined The Church of the Covenant in 2007, and over the years I have been blessed to be involved in many areas of church life, including serving as a Deacon, participating on the Christian Education Committee, volunteering in the nursery, serving on the Preschool Board, and currently directing our Vacation Bible School program.
My professional background includes event planning for both nonprofit and corporate organizations, as well as experience in higher education recruitment, marketing, and communications. Event planning and communications are truly my passion, and I am grateful for the opportunity to use these skills in service to the church.
The Church of the Covenant has been like a second home to my family. It is a place where we have formed meaningful friendships and grown together in our faith.
I have been involved in children and youth ministry for over 20 years in different capacities and my most recent education is a Youth Ministry Certification from Point Loma University. I love watching children and teens discover God’s love for them. I have witnessed their lives be transformed through study, service and mission.
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My ministry has included many mission trips working with Habitat for Humanity in Key West, Fl., Impact Ministries in South Carolina, Group Work Camps and more. I love to create new programs to help kids and families engage with the church. Some of my success has included a Bible adventure summer camp for middle schoolers, an after school Bible program, Winter Bible School and more. I strive to make evangelism modern and relevant to today’s culture.
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I value family time with my husband, Yone, and sons, Jeremy, Jackson, and Isaiah. I also enjoy many hobbies like painting, baking, and Scuba diving.
The Director of Music Ministries at The Church of the Covenant oversees all music programs at the church. These include The Covenant Choir, the adult choir; Teens For Christ, the choir for ages 13 and up; The Covenant Kids’ Choir, for children ages 4 to 12; The Jubilate Ringers, the adult bell ringers; and, The Covenant Ringers, the teenage bell ringers.
My ministry is to take care of the facilities of the church. This responsibility includes the church building, as well as the ministry houses and rental properties associated with it. I have been employed since August 1999, and look forward to serving the church for much longer. My wife Janet and I have been married since 1982 and have two wonderful children, Jillian and Sam. My door is always open and together I pray that we will grow this church and reach the world for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
