What is your role at LUMC? How long have you been in your current role?

I have served as Associate Pastor of Lakewood UMC for two years as of July 2021.

Previous churches served:

• Ozark UMC (Ozark, Ark.)

• Wesley UMC (Springdale, Ark.)

• First UMC (Fort Gibson, Okla.)

• First UMC (Fort Smith, Ark.)

• St. Paul UMC (Fort Smith, Ark.)

• Vesta UMC (Vesta, Ark.)

• Salem UMC (Conway, Ark.)

Calling

Through the encouragement of my pastor and youth leaders at Faith UMC as well as the guiding of the spirit, I received and embraced my calling to ministry during my junior year of high school.  My calling came to me after experiencing a turn in my chosen career path at the time.  Since the 7th grade, I had desired to go into music education and work with high school bands.  However, after taking a music theory course and barely passing the first semester, I realized I needed to rethink my future of music and took a study hall.  It was in this study hall that I contemplated my future vocation and read the story of Peter walking on water.  I connected the faith of Peter to myself and the gentle nudging toward ministry that my pastor and youth leaders were expressing.  I decided that if Peter could have such great faith to step out of the boat, that I too could step out on faith as well and trust God along the way with my calling to vocational ministry. 

Ever since yielding to my call I have witnessed my gifts and calling into ministry confirmed repeatedly in the various ministries and churches I have served. While youth ministry still holds a special place in my heart, I have embraced God’s call to use all of the gifts He has given to me by submitting to God and His call on my life to pastoral ministry. It was during my time at college that I accepted a specific calling to ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church

What is your place of birth/where are you from? Where all have you lived?

I was born in Fort Smith, Ark. I’ve lived in Siloam Springs, Ark., Tahlequah, Okla., Fort Gibson, Okla., Conway, Ark., and North Little Rock, Ark.

Where did you attend school (high school/college/grad school)?

High School: Southside High School, Fort Smith, AR,

College: John Brown University (Siloam Springs, Ark.), B.S. in Youth Ministry

Seminary/Grad School: Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, Ky.), M.Div. area of focus Pastoral Ministry and Campus/College Ministry

What do you enjoy doing when you are not at work?

I enjoy cooking, hunting, golf, and kayaking with my wife, Carrie.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse, passage, or story? If so, what is it?

My favorite Bible verse is Philippians 3:14, as it speaks to the process of sanctification and holiness that we as Christians in the Wesleyan tradition uniquely emphasize and strive for. 

What is a fun fact about you that most people may not know?

I’m a percussionist and I played in bands and orchestras from the time I was in the 7th grade onward. I attended college with a music scholarship and taught private lessons to many aspiring percussionists for six years. 

Do you follow sports? If so, what are your favorite sports/teams?

Yes, my favorite teams are the Arkansas Razorbacks, New Orleans Saints, and St. Louis Cardinals.

What is your favorite place you have visited? If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? What would you do there? Who would you go with?

I would go to Italy to visit Rome, the Vatican, Tuscany, and Cinque Terre. I would go with my wife, Carrie, and we would eat all the delicious food, see the sights, and experience the culture. 

If you were given the opportunity to share a meal with any one person - past or present, who would you dine with?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

If you had to choose your last meal, what would it be?

This is a tough question as there are so many to choose from. I enjoy Italian and Cajun/Creole cuisine, so probably something from New Orleans where those worlds collide.