Tell us a little bit about your family and where you’re from.
My wife, Jordyn, and I have been married for nearly 18 years. We met in high school at 15 years old in Coshocton. Jordyn graduated from River View High School and I graduated from Tabor Academy in Marion, MA. We connected again shortly after college when I was coaching at Muskingum University. God has blessed us with six incredible children. We live in Granville, where our family is actively involved in ministry, sports, and our community.
When did you meet Jesus?
Although I was born in Zanesville, my family eventually moved to Holmes County, where faith was woven into the culture. We attended both a Methodist church and a Mennonite church, and my parents were faithful in sharing truth with us. Still, as I grew older, my walk with Jesus wasn’t truly personal—it was cultural. Eventually, sports took center stage, and like many, I drifted from the faith community I knew. That new culture influenced new patterns, and because I was still absent of a personal faith, I followed them.
After Jordyn and I were married, she suggested we start attending church together. I’m still grateful for her determination. She had always stayed connected to her faith and to the church, even while living in Nashville and L.A. I’m thankful she never wavered!
I’ll never forget that first service at Heritage Baptist Church (now LifeHouse) in Lebanon, Ohio. A guest military chaplain, dressed in full uniform, stood before us and preached the gospel with fire, passion, and clarity. God used that moment to awaken everything that had been planted in me through my parents and so many faithful influences over the years. The Holy Spirit took over, and for the first time, I truly understood the Good News.
I realized I had spent years believing the cross was conditional and cultural—that Jesus would turn away from me like an angry coach disappointed in my performance. But in that moment, I encountered the truth of a Savior who was faithfully calling me to Himself. I learned that Jesus is far greater than any other influence. He is deeply personal, meeting each of His children individually as we gather corporately—calling us to new life and transformation. We aren’t a blending of separate compartments to appear to be something, but fully surrendered and set apart because we have been born again.
That day, I finally understood that salvation isn’t something to achieve; it’s something to receive spiritually and live practically. I am saved by grace through faith, and that same grace now compels me to live obediently and serve faithfully in His kingdom until I’m called home.
What is one of your favorite Bible verses?
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”
GALATIANS 6:7 (ESV)
What is your current role with Lifepoint? How long have you been on staff?
As the founding pastor of Bridge City Church, my new role of Founding Pastor is focused on supporting our Lead Pastor here at Lifepoint Newark while championing the multiplication of our family of churches partnering with Lifepoint Mount Vernon. I have been in bi-vocational ministry for almost 10 years now.