About

Personal Background

I was raised in the jungles of Paraguay, South America where my parents engaged in tribal ministry.  The first house I remember had dirt floors, palm walls, a tin roof, a wood burning stove, and kerosene lanterns.  The swamp directly in front of our house provided an interesting assortment of animals and reptiles which often frequented our yard and occasionally our house (watching my mother chase a poisonous snake through the house with her machete took the place of TV and sitcoms).  The primary means of transportation was walking or horseback riding. Oxcarts were used to transport our stuff into the village. A dirt airstrip was made for emergencies and occasional supplies from town.  My best friends were non-white and spoke Guarani.  There was no church in the village when we arrived.   

At the age of seventeen I returned to the USA to go to college.  By that time I had lived in three different indigenous tribal situations, plus the bustling urban setting of Asuncion, with all its modern amenities and modes of transportation.  I spoke three languages fluently (English, Guarani, and Spanish – I have learn some Portuguese since); I taught in the indigenous school programs; and I actively read the Bible and other Christian literature.   

In the last 30 plus years I have had the opportunity to get a contractor’s license (concrete and masonry), direct a missions agency in Mexico, be the interim pastor of a couple churches, and participate in ministry in Spain, Brazil, Paraguay, Mexico and the USA, as well as travel to North Africa a couple times.

Education

B.S. in Counseling Psy., Christian Heritage College, 1984

M. Div., Southern California Bible College and Seminary, 2001

M.A.T.S., Bethel Seminary, 2004

Doctor of Ministry, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2009

Calling to Lake Murray

In March of 2003 I became the interim pastor of Lake Murray, and was then called in June of 2004.  My wife and I have enjoyed our ministry here.  Certainly there are always challenges, but it is a privilege to teach the Bible and invest in the lives of people.  Our desire is to see people experience the fullness of life that God has promised as they live it out in accordance with His Word.  We believe that if you want the Father’s blessing, you must do things the Father’s way. 

Testimony

Being raised in the jungles of Paraguay, South America, we had no TV’s or radios.   We spent most of our time studying (home schooled), playing, and in the evenings we listened to many Bible stories and missionary stories on reel-to-reel tapes.   As far back as I can remember I had an interest in spiritual things.   Many times I invited Christ into my heart and was baptized when I was 12.        

In high school, I was heavily involved in the mission work: I worked in a mission store and later ran a school program teaching the indigenous children how to read and write their own language.

I came back to the USA at the age of 17 to go to junior college.

One evening at the church a guy talked about street evangelism.   I thought that it would be an interesting thing to check out, so I did.   As we were on the streets, I realized that I couldn’t explain my faith as well as I had thought I could, so I purchased the book by Howard Hendricks “Say it with Love” and started to read it.

While I was reading the book,  the thought came to me, “Steve, are you saved?”   To which I responded, “Of course I am saved!”   The next thought was, “Why are you saved?”   Immediately I began to think about all the good things that I had done.   I realized, for the first time, that I was trusting in myself and in a formula I had recited — not in the finished work of Jesus Christ for me.  That night, I placed my faith and trust in the work of Christ for my salvation.  That was May of 1978.  It was one of the happiest moments of my life.

It is my desire to live for the honor of God in all I do, being a faithful servant where He places me.