My Testimony
I was born to a half Christian family, my mother was the spiritual head and my father who was a good man but an unbeliever. Thanks to my mother’s persistence in keeping us in church my sister and I were regularly exposed to the gospel. I invited Jesus “into my heart” a million times when I was in elementary school thanks to VBS and Sunday school, but when I was 13 it all started to click and scripture became 3D leaping off the page with incredible power in my life. So, I decided to truly follow him with all of my life and was baptized. My sister was also baptized near that time and so the three of us prayed that dad would come to Christ. Even though he tried to avoid conviction from the sermons at church by reading his bible he eventually did bow his knee to the Lord. His conversion confirmed the effectivity of prayer and the life changing power of the gospel to me.
When I was about 15 I sensed the call of God to go deeper by giving my whole life in Christian service. At that time I thought that God only called people to be missionaries or senior pastors. I met with the pastors of my church and discovered the requirements. They affirmed me and allowed me to preach my first sermon at 16. I attended a secular undergraduate after seeing my sister grow in Christ there and obeying my parents request to get a “tent making” degree, just in case ministry failed.
During college I was involved with several youth groups as well as Fellowship of Christian Athletes and InterVarsity. Upon graduation I worked with InterVarsity as a volunteer while serving the youth as well. After that, God opened a door in for work as an interim youth pastor. Upon completion of my interim position, God lead me to seminary so that I could be a sharper tool for him.
During seminary I have served as a part-time youth pastor at two different ethnic churches and started up a youth ministry network at school. After seminary I married my now late wife, Victoria, and pursued full time youth ministry at Our Saviour EFC in Wheeling, IL until God moved me into my present position as Associate Pastor of Youth and Small Groups at Hope EFC in Roscoe, IL.
My dear Victoria passed about a year ago, but I’m still committed to the ministry. I believe that in recent years God has brought forth and affirmed through various sources my gifting in preaching and teaching ministry as well as pastor/shepherding gifts and leadership.
When I was about 15 I sensed the call of God to go deeper by giving my whole life in Christian service. At that time I thought that God only called people to be missionaries or senior pastors. I met with the pastors of my church and discovered the requirements. They affirmed me and allowed me to preach my first sermon at 16. I attended a secular undergraduate after seeing my sister grow in Christ there and obeying my parents request to get a “tent making” degree, just in case ministry failed.
During college I was involved with several youth groups as well as Fellowship of Christian Athletes and InterVarsity. Upon graduation I worked with InterVarsity as a volunteer while serving the youth as well. After that, God opened a door in for work as an interim youth pastor. Upon completion of my interim position, God lead me to seminary so that I could be a sharper tool for him.
During seminary I have served as a part-time youth pastor at two different ethnic churches and started up a youth ministry network at school. After seminary I married my now late wife, Victoria, and pursued full time youth ministry at Our Saviour EFC in Wheeling, IL until God moved me into my present position as Associate Pastor of Youth and Small Groups at Hope EFC in Roscoe, IL.
My dear Victoria passed about a year ago, but I’m still committed to the ministry. I believe that in recent years God has brought forth and affirmed through various sources my gifting in preaching and teaching ministry as well as pastor/shepherding gifts and leadership.