Life Story

I grew up in a small southern Illinois town and on the family farm where my grandparents lived. On many Sundays, my grandmother would take my siblings and I to a local church for services and Sunday school. I learned Bible stories and about religion, but I knew nothing about having a relationship with Jesus. By age 15, I was only a Christian on Easter and Christmas.

In high school, I met and started dating my wife, Cheryl. After high school, her family started attending a small Southern Baptist Church where she surrendered her life to Christ and was baptized. I started visiting the church with her, and in the winter of 1977, alone in my apartment, God and I had a very intense conversation. That night, I literally fell to my knees and surrendered my life to Him.

In April 1978, Cheryl and I were married and began our family adventure together. We spent the next 36 years between Vandalia, Peoria, and then Litchfield, Illinois. Along the way, God blessed us with three children: Nathan, Derek, and Haley. God also blessed us with opportunities to serve Him in local churches within each community. Over the years, God has taught us many lessons on the blessings of following Him.

In 2011, our oldest son and his wife moved to Highland Village and became members of The Village Church. Eventually, God opened the doors to allow Cheryl and I to move to Texas, where we soon became TVC members ourselves. In 2021, I began serving on staff at The Village.

Hope for The Village Church

My hope is that we would continue to seek where God is working and join Him there, boldly proclaiming the gospel as it is revealed in the Bible. May God continue to bless us with leaders who earnestly seek His will, who follow authentic biblical truths, and who are strong enough to lead us on His path even when the journey becomes uncomfortable.