Languages   |   Education   |   Training   |   Ministry History   |   Questions

 

LANGUAGES

English

EDUCATION

School

Degree

End (mm/yy)

 

Asbury Theological Seminary

Doctor of Ministry

05/00

 

Asbury Theological Seminary

Master of Divinity

05/93

 

Texas Tech University

Bachelor of Science in Family Studies

12/89

 

TRAINING

Course

End (mm/yy)

 

Exponential Multipliers Cohort

05/23

 

Exponential Multipliers Cohort

05/22

 

Connected In Christ Cohort

05/04

 

CERTIFICATIONS

Certification

End (mm/yy)

 

N/A

N/A

 

MINISTRY HISTORY

Church/Organization

Position

Begin (mm/yy)

 

LakeRidge Methodist Church

Lead Pastor

07/16

 

LifeSong Church, A Methodist Community of Faith

Founding & Lead Pastor

06/05

 

Mountainside Church, A Methodist Community of Faith

Founding & Lead Pastor

06/98

 

Manchester United Methodist Church & HSU/OBU Wesley Foundation

Pastor & Director

06/93

 

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS

• I'm the lead pastor of LakeRidge Methodist Church in Lubbock, Texas where I led the congregation through disaffiliation. I'm only the second lead pastor in the church's 48 year history. I followed the founding pastor of 37+ years. I've lead a $4.7 million dollar capital campaign for a renovation and expansion project. The congregation has 3,500 members and is the largest congregation in the West Plains Conference.

• I was the founding and lead pastor of LifeSong Church, A Methodist Community of Faith in Orlando, Florida. I lead the congregation in the purchase of Alafaya Village Shopping Center which is where the congregation resides and is also the home to Asbury Theological Seminary's Orlando campus. Many members of LifeSong were previously unchurched people.

• I was the founding and lead pastor of Mountainside Church, in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. I led the congregation in a $2 million dollar capital campaign and the building of a phase one building. The congregation was recognized with the Horizon's Stewardship Award for excellence in congregational stewardship.

• I was the pastor of Manchester United Methodist Church which was recognized as the Little Rock Conference Rural Church of the year while I was pastor.

QUESTIONS

 

1. Gospel: What is the gospel?

The gospel is good news. Through Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice on the cross, God graciously forgives sinners, renews hearts, restores lives, and forms a holy people who love God and neighbor while awaiting the full restoration of all things. From a Wesleyan perspective I believe the gospel is God’s grace from start to finish. It is prevenient grace, which is the grace of God that goes before us, awakening us and drawing us to God. It is justifying grace, which demonstrates that through repentance and faith, we are forgiven, reconciled and made right with God. It is sanctifying grace, which is the way in which God continues His saving work by transforming us into Christ’s likeness through the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

2. Trinity: How would you articulate the doctrine of the Trinity and why it matters?

The doctrine of the Trinity is what we affirm and confess in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. It is One God in three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - co-equal, eternal, one substance and yet at the same time personally distinct. The doctrine of the Trinity matters because it helps us to understand God’s saving work.

• The Father loves, creates and purposes salvation.

• The Son becomes incarnate, redeems and reconciles.

• The Holy Spirit awakens, applies and perfects salvation.

It also matters because it is the Trinity who makes holiness possible

• The Father calls us to holy love with himself and others.

• The Son reveals holy love in flesh and blood.

• The Holy Spirit forms holy love within us helping us take on the character of God.

 

3. Jesus: In what sense did Jesus die for our sins, and how does it impact your understanding of the Church’s mission?

For Wesley the cross was never isolated from mission. Jesus died for us and our sins. Christ bore the consequences of sin. He offered himself in our place and makes forgiveness possible. The cross is God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Sin, death and the devil are overcome. Holiness is made possible. We are reconciled to God and sanctification can take place.

As to the church’s mission, we proclaim forgiveness and transformation made possible through Jesus Christ. Because Christ died for our sins we preach repentance and forgiveness and that new life is possible. We hold both evangelism and discipleship in tandem. We preach grace and holiness. For Wesleyans, this means the church’s mission is to proclaim forgiveness and new life to all people, to form disciples who are being transformed by grace, and to embody Christ’s self-giving love in the world through holiness and mercy.

 

4. Holy Spirit: How does the ministry of the Holy Spirit relate to your understanding of the Church?

The church isn’t an institution or a building; the Church is supposed to be a Spirit-formed and empowered community participating in God’s saving work. The Church isn’t something that we organize into existence. The Holy Spirit brings the Church to life. Pentecost isn’t just the Church’s birthday. It is meant to be a pattern of God breathing life into us so that we become the Body of Christ. In Wesleyan theology, holiness is not just personal morality, but love perfected in community where growth in grace happens best together with life on life. The Spirit gives gifts for ministry for the building up of the body and for the transformation of the world. Without the Holy Spirit the church loses its soul. With the Spirit, the Church becomes a living witness to God’s grace — transforming people and participating in the renewal of all things.

 

5. Sanctification: Do you affirm the doctrine of entire sanctification, and how would you explain it to someone who has not encountered it before?

Yes, I affirm the doctrine of entire sanctification, one of the major contributions of Wesleyan theology to the wider Church. Entire sanctification is the belief that God’s grace can so transform the heart that love for God and neighbor becomes the ruling motive of life. It does not mean freedom from mistakes or temptation. We continue to grow, repent, and rely daily on grace.

John Wesley described it as “perfect love”—not flawless behavior, but a heart made whole by grace. It is a life fully yielded to God, where love reigns above all else. Entire sanctification is not self-improvement or human achievement; it is God’s work, received by faith. In one of his letters Wesley even called it “the grand depositum” entrusted to the people called Methodists, believing God raised them up to proclaim this transforming grace.

 

6. Holiness: How do you understand holiness as it relates to human flourishing?

Holiness is the transformation of my character that leads to true human flourishing. As God’s grace reshapes my heart, I move from selfishness to surrender, increasingly reflecting God’s image in my life. This change becomes visible in my relationships as I embody the selfless love of Christ and begin seeing others through His eyes.

Rooted in the primacy of Scripture, holiness shapes both faith and practice. It directs how I engage the world, compelling me to pursue justice and care for the least, the last, and the lost. Holiness is not perfectionism, but freedom—freedom from a willful inclination to sin and conscious rebellion against God. In that freedom, love becomes the ruling motive of my life, and through that love, both I and those around me experience the restoration and human flourishing God intends

 

7. Sacraments: What is your understanding of the Sacraments and their role in the life of the Church?

I understand the sacraments to be a means of grace that God uses to form the Church and shape believers in holy love. They aren’t empty rituals and they certainly aren’t magic. In the GMC the two sacraments we practice are baptism and holy communion. In both of these we see an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The sacraments are places where we experience the Holy Spirit doing a whole variety of things — awakening, strengthening, forgiving, healing and sanctifying. Through the sacraments God is doing something more than reminding us. Baptism incorporates us into the community of faith and marks the beginning of the Christian journey. Holy Communion keeps us in touch with Christ’s atoning sacrifice on our behalf and gives us the opportunity to respond to God’s grace made real in our lives.

 

8. Scripture: What is your understanding of scripture’s inspiration, authority, truthfulness, and sufficiency?

As Wesleyans we uphold that the Bible is God-inspired, trustworthy and fully authoritative for faith and life. We believe it is sufficient to lead us into salvation and holy love. Scripture has primary authority for Christian belief and practice.

We read it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we ask what is God using this text to reveal about Himself and our salvation. We study it privately and within the community of faith for the purpose of living it out in our daily lives. Scripture gives us everything necessary for salvation and faithful discipleship. It helps us in manifold ways — to know God, receive grace, grow in holiness and participate in God’s mission. In the life of the Church we preach it for transformation, not just information.

 

9. Human Sexuality: What is your understanding of human sexuality expressed in terms of human flourishing?

Human sexuality is a good gift of God. It is rightly ordered in the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman within a relationship shaped by fidelity and directed toward human flourishing through holy love. The Church is not meant to be a court of judgment, but a community of grace and truth. We should teach a clear moral vision of human sexuality that is rooted in scripture.

We are to practice accountability and at the same time support people in the midst of their struggles ultimately holding together a call to holiness and mercy. The idea of entire sanctification should include our sexuality. Our aim is for the love of Christ to govern our desires so that self-giving replaces self-centeredness. Faithfulness should be the orientation of our hearts. Sexual holiness is not achieved by willpower alone, but by the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

 

10. Human Beings: How does the biblical vision of human beings made in the image of God form your attitude toward the dignity of human life at every stage from conception to death?

In scripture, to be human is to be made in the image of God. Every human life has inherent worth. It is not based on ability, productivity, age, health or moral achievement. While sin distorts the image of God in us, it never nullifies God’s claim on human life. Therefore, human dignity is present at every stage of life, not only when independence, rationality or usefulness appears. The Wesleyan understanding of prevenient grace teaches us that God is at work in every human life before conscious faith and that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace which precedes our awareness, capacity or response. The unborn, the disabled, the elderly, the dying, and the cognitively impaired are all persons toward whom God is actively oriented in love. We should resist any ethic that protects life at one stage while disregarding it at another. The image of God demands consistency.

 

11. Wesleyan/Methodist Contribution: What is the Wesleyan/Methodist contribution to the Church universal?

I believe that the Wesleyan theology of grace is perhaps our greatest contribution to the Church universal. Our belief in prevenient grace affirms that God seeks us before we seek him. Justifying grace claims that God forgives and reconciles us through faith in Christ. Sanctifying grace demonstrates that God continues to heal and transform us in love. True Wesleyan theology insists that God does something in us here and now which means that God’s grace is empowering.

Wesley articulated the Christian life in affirmation of perfect love or Christian perfection. This wasn’t sinless flawlessness, but hearts fully oriented toward loving God and loving neighbor. Early Methodists offered a model of church life that combined deep formation in the classes, bands and societies, along with a broad mission of evangelistic preaching and lay leadership. At our best, Wesleyans are grace-driven, holy, disciplined, evangelistic and hopeful.

 

12. Global Methodist Church: What is your vision for the GMC?

My vision for the Global Methodist Church is that our stated mission and vision would be fully embodied in the life of our denomination. As our Book of Doctrines and Discipline affirms, we exist to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to spread scriptural holiness across the globe, empowered by the Holy Spirit. I long to see this calling move beyond words on a page and become a lived, shared reality in our congregations, leaders, and global witness. My hope is that the Global Methodist Church would be known for multiplying disciples who flourish in holiness, worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly in their local contexts and around the world. When our mission and vision shape our priorities, practices, and partnerships, we will faithfully participate in God’s renewing work in the world.

 

13. Evangelism: What is evangelism and how have you practiced it effectively in your ministry?

Evangelism is sharing the love of Jesus so that lives are transformed by God’s grace and the world is drawn closer to Him. In my ministry, I have practiced evangelism primarily through servant-hearted actions that demonstrate God’s love in tangible ways. As a church planter, we would offer completely free car washes, never accepting donations, simply to serve our community and spark curiosity about the motivation behind such acts—the love of Jesus. I’ve also set up a table at a chamber of commerce expo with a simple banner reading “Free Prayer.” It’s been incredible to see how God draws people to Himself when we simply offer to lift people’s burdens in prayer. These experiences have taught me that evangelism is often most effective when it combines action, compassion, and genuine love for others.

 

14. Discipleship: What is a disciple, and how have you effectively made disciples in your ministry?

A disciple is a follower of Jesus who, by God’s grace, is continually transformed in heart, mind, and character to reflect Christ more fully in daily life. The goal of discipleship is not only personal growth, but also equipping others to follow Jesus and make disciples themselves. We want to make disciples who in turn make other disciples.

In my ministry, I have practiced this by meeting one-on-one with individuals to read Scripture, pray, and provide accountability, often using Wesleyan band questions to guide reflection on spiritual growth, obedience, and holiness. Whenever I commit to discipling someone, it is with the clear expectation that they will, in turn, disciple others. I believe that every Christian needs to be discipled and is called to disciple others, creating a multiplying culture of spiritual growth and transformation.

 

15. Local Engagement: How have you led congregations to engage their local contexts with the gospel?

At my current church, we equip people to engage our community with the gospel through intentional, practical strategies:

• Each fall, we host a church-wide experience where everyone reads the same book, participates in discussion groups, and hears coordinated sermons—this past year reading The Unsaved Christian by Dean Inserra.

• The previous spring, 300+ people participated in the Alpha Course, exploring the basics of the Christian faith in a relaxed, open, and conversational environment, combining teaching, discussion, and community to help people encounter Jesus and ask life’s big questions.

• We’ve also hosted Spirit & Truth weekend events twice with leaders Matt Reynolds and Maggie Ulmer, providing training in evangelism and sending participants out into the community to pray and share their faith. These initiatives help our congregation move beyond the church walls, live out the gospel relationally, and empower others to encounter Jesus in everyday life.

 

16. Unreached People Groups: How do you understand the mission of the GMC in relation to unreached and unengaged people groups?

At inception, Methodism was an evangelistic, missional movement. Wesley’s practice of field preaching reflected a conviction that the church must go to the people. I understand the mission of the GMC in continuity with this same impulse—to intentionally engage unreached and unengaged people with the gospel in culturally relevant and relational ways.

This means moving beyond traditional church models and developing new expressions of ministry that meet people where they are. One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is through church planting and the formation of new faith communities designed specifically to reach those who are not connected to the church.

I have planted two churches, and in both cases these congregations were effective in reaching unchurched and spiritually disconnected people. These experiences have shaped my conviction that church planting is a vital and strategic component of our call to reach unreached and unengaged people groups.

 

17. Global Missions: What is the local church’s role in global missions? How will you equip local churches for that role?

The local church is the frontline of God’s mission in the world. Conferences and denominational structures should exist to resource, equip, and empower the local church for faithful mission. Congregations are healthiest and most vibrant when they embrace a holistic missions strategy that engages people locally, regionally, and globally. Episcopal and denominational leaders play a vital role in casting this vision, creating pathways for engagement, and removing barriers that hinder participation.

I’ve had the privilege of helping local churches develop global partnerships in Guatemala, Cuba, Malawi, and the Dominican Republic. In each case, these relationships were not one-sided efforts, but mutual partnerships that deepened discipleship and enriched the life of the local church as we shared in God’s mission alongside believers around the world. I would work to equip local churches through intentional training, the development of mission partnership opportunities and uplifting the global nature of our denomination.

 

18. Christian Unity: What is your understanding of Christian unity? How will you lead the Church toward greater unity in Christ and the Spirit both within the GMC and in relation to other ecclesial bodies?

John Wesley understood Christian unity as unity of heart and mission rather than uniformity of doctrine or practice. Within Methodism, he did not intend to form a separate church, but sought renewal within the Church of England through shared discipline, connectional accountability, and a common pursuit of holiness. I believe we should seek to have this type of unity amongst those who call themselves Global Methodists.

In the broader Christian community, Wesley articulated his vision in “A Catholic Spirit,” arguing that believers could differ on non-essential matters while remaining united in Christ. For Wesley, true unity was grounded in the essentials of the faith and expressed through love of God and neighbor, humility, and cooperation in God’s mission. I would like to see the Global Methodist Church embrace this same stance.

 

19. Bishop's Work: What is your understanding of the work of a bishop?

In the Global Methodist Church, bishops serve as general superintendents, who provide spiritual leadership, guard and defend orthodox Wesleyan doctrine, and oversee the church’s mission and witness. Their role emphasizes theological oversight alongside connectional leadership rather than primarily administrative functions. GMC bishops teach the faith, ordain elders and deacons, commission missionaries, consecrate new bishops, and preside over General and annual conferences. Bishops are charged with safeguarding the doctrines and discipline of the Church while strengthening its evangelistic and missional focus. Unlike our previous denomination’s episcopal practice, the GMC practices a non-residential episcopacy, with bishops serving the whole connection rather than fixed geographic areas. I’ve been honored to serve on the Global Episcopacy Committee since the convening conference. I believe this has given me a unique window into understanding the work of a GMC bishop.

 

20. Your Qualifications: What qualifies you for the office of bishop?

I am qualified through spiritual leadership, deep devotion to Christ, and broad pastoral and connectional experience. For the past decade, I have served as lead pastor of a large congregation, providing spiritual oversight, leading a sizable staff, and guiding complex ministries, including a $4.7 million capital campaign.

As the founding pastor of two church plants, I have experience reaching the unchurched, innovating in ministry, and launching new initiatives. My ministry has spanned rural, mid-size, and urban contexts in Arkansas, Florida, and Texas, along with mission work in Guatemala and Cuba.

I have also played key roles in disaffiliation and conference formation and have served in several connectional leadership positions, including the Global Episcopacy Committee. I hold a Doctor of Ministry degree from Asbury Theological Seminary through the Beeson Center for Pastoral Leadership and Biblical Preaching. I also currently serve on Asbury’s board of trustees.

 

21. Assembly of Bishops: What do you see as the role of the Assembly of Bishops?

The Assembly of Bishops is the group of all active bishops in the Global Methodist Church, joined together by a shared commitment to serve Christ and the Church. Their role is to support one another spiritually, hold one another accountable, and care for one another so they can lead faithfully and wisely. Together, they speak to the Church with a pastoral voice and help represent the Church to the wider world.

The Assembly helps guide the direction of the denomination by planning for the Church’s growth and health, offering clear teaching on faith and moral issues, and addressing confusion or error when needed. They also carry certain leadership responsibilities, such as helping with the appointment process, naming qualified leaders for church trials, and nominating key church leaders. In addition, the Assembly leads the Church’s work with other Christian groups and helps guide the GMC toward greater unity, faithfulness, and mission.

 

22. Fellow Bishops: How do you envision working together with fellow bishops?

I believe that the best practices for bishops working together would be rooted in covenant, trust, and shared mission. Fellow bishops should invest in their relationships with each other through prayer, mutual respect, and honest conversation.

They should practice collegial accountability by supporting one another publicly and addressing concerns directly and privately, avoiding triangulation. Clear communication and agreed-upon processes would help maintain unity and trust.

Decision-making should be collaborative and mission-focused, with bishops listening carefully to one another’s contexts and valuing diverse perspectives while at the same time remaining grounded in shared doctrine and purpose.

Finally, the Assembly should model healthy leadership for the whole Church by handling conflict biblically, speaking with a consistent pastoral voice, and caring for one another’s well-being. If bishops choose to lead together in this way, I believe the Church will be strengthened and better equipped for faithful witness.

 

23. Conference Superintendents: How do you envision working together with and supervising conference superintendents?

I believe the healthiest practices for a bishop working with conference superintendents are rooted in trust, clarity, and shared mission. They should have clearly defined roles, expectations, and lines of authority so superintendents know both their responsibilities and their freedom to lead. Regular, intentional communication through scheduled check-ins creates space for prayer, coaching, accountability, and problem-solving before issues escalate.

Conference superintendents also need to know that the bishop supports and advocates for them. Public affirmation combined with private, honest feedback builds confidence and strengthens leadership. Including superintendents in vision casting, strategic planning, and appointment conversations honors their contextual insight and leads to better decisions.

Healthy supervision also requires addressing conflict directly and biblically, avoiding triangulation, and encouraging open communication. Finally, I feel strongly that bishops should attend to the spiritual well-being of conference superintendents, offering encouragement, prayer, and opportunities for renewal so they can lead with faithfulness.

 

24. Handling Concerns: If laity or clergy bring concerns directly to you bypassing their presiding elders and/or conference superintendent, would you include the applicable conference superintendent and/or presiding elder in the conversation? If so, how would you empower your conference superintendents and/or presiding elders in the discussion?

Yes, I would include the appropriate conference superintendent and/or presiding elder in the conversation. Healthy leadership depends on clear boundaries, shared trust, and right relationships. When concerns are brought directly to a bishop while bypassing supervisory leaders, it often reflects triangulation, which is an unhealthy communication pattern. In most cases, I would redirect the individual to address the concern first with the person closest to the situation, in keeping with a biblical approach to conflict and reconciliation.

At the same time, I believe it is essential for bishops to maintain strong, supportive relationships with conference superintendents and presiding elders. I would empower them by involving them directly in the conversation, affirming their authority, and reinforcing clearly communicated expectations. Conference superintendents should know that the bishop supports their leadership, while laity and clergy should be confident that concerns are handled with integrity, transparency, and respect for the church’s leadership structure.

 

25. Laity Leadership: How do you envision incorporating laity into the leadership of the church and into your leadership team?

I believe the mission of the GMC is best fulfilled when the priesthood of all believers is embraced and laity are meaningfully included in leadership. The church is healthiest when clergy and laity serve together, each contributing their God-given gifts. This is reflected in the GMC’s standing committees and commissions, which intentionally include equal representation of clergy and laity. In my own service on the Global Episcopacy Committee, our work is strengthened by the insight and experience of lay members who’s wisdom helps us make more faithful and informed decisions.

As a lead pastor, I regularly involve laity in shaping ministry. Laity participate in planning sermon series and discerning ministry priorities. We also rely on trained lay leaders through Stephen’s Ministry to provide frontline pastoral care, greatly expanding the church’s ability to love people well. I would follow a similar model in how I would lead as a bishop.

 

26. GMC Challenges: What do you see as the top three challenges facing the GMC today? How would you address them?

Moving Beyond Top-Down Structures: Our previous leadership model was heavily top-down and institutionally driven. As a healthy, adaptive denomination, we need to empower laity, nurture a bottom-up vision, and ensure that denominational structures exist to serve local churches rather than control them.

Disciples Who Make Disciples: Ministry must extend beyond professional clergy. Recovering the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers means equipping every Global Methodist to live out evangelism and discipleship as part of their daily lives.

Pastoral Recruitment, Development, and Retention: The long-term viability of the denomination depends on investing in pastors—from call discernment to education, spiritual formation, and sustained excellence—so we can fill pulpits and plant new churches.

Underlying these challenges is the need to build trust. Given the high level of distrust in our former denomination, transparency in creating policies and priorities must be a focus for GMC leadership.

 

27. Devotional Life: How would you characterize your devotional life?

My devotional life is currently centered on the practice of Lectio Divina, an ancient method of prayerful Scripture reading. I read the same passage three times: first, listening for a word or phrase that speaks to me; second, reflecting on how the scripture intersects with my life and what God may be stirring in me; and third, discerning God’s call to action or response.

I value this practice because it slows me down and helps me intentionally listen for God’s voice. I want it to be normative that I discern and hear the voice of God. Over time, I’ve seen it consistently shape and mold my character and ministry. I find that it aligns closely with the pursuit of scriptural holiness, helping me grow in both awareness of God’s presence and responsiveness to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in daily life.

 

28. Theological Resources: What are the top five authors or theological resources to which you turn for research and learning and why?

C.S. Lewis—I’ve always liked how Lewis takes complex ideas like faith, suffering, and evil, and then translates them into language ordinary people can actually understand. He does so with incredible imagination.

Dr. David Watson—A leading Wesleyan voice on a variety of topics, Watson is deeply academic while insisting that theology serves the church’s mission of scriptural holiness.

The Bible Project—This organization creates free videos, podcasts, and study guides to help people understand the Bible as a unified story, focusing on literary design, overarching themes, and historical context.

Seedbed—As a website Seedbed is uniquely Wesleyan and brings together prominent orthodox, Wesleyan scholars to offer curriculum, books, videos and resources for pastors and churches.

John Ortberg—He has the ability to take deep spiritual truths and make them livable and applicable to ordinary life. He expresses theological depth in an accessible way without watering down truth.

 

29. Failures: Describe one time you failed; what did you learn from that failure?

In my first church plant, one of the families who helped launch the church asked to meet and shared that they were leaving. I remember how much I wanted to hold everything together, how convinced I was that if I just said the right things they would stay. And for a while, they did. Two months later, they left anyway, and the separation was painful and complicated for everyone involved. With time and distance, I’ve come to see that moment as an important teacher in my own formation. I learned that when someone has truly made peace with leaving, insisting that they stay can do more harm than good. Today, I would respond differently. I would receive their decision with gratitude rather than anxiety, thank them for the life we shared, and trust God enough to release them with a blessing—believing that grace does not end when paths diverge.

 

30. Leadership Style: How would you describe your leadership style?

My leadership style is purposeful, structured, and rooted in the church’s mission. I try to lead with an emphasis on clarity of vision because I believe the church flourishes when leaders, staffs and congregations have a shared understanding of purpose. I’m attentive to outcomes, not as measures of success alone, but as signs of spiritual vitality, stewardship, and fruitfulness.

I bring an organized and disciplined approach to leadership, valuing clear processes and accountability. In an episcopal role, I see this as a way of serving pastors and congregations well, providing stability, alignment, and support for their ministry. I am comfortable making difficult decisions when necessary, while striving to do so prayerfully and relationally. I value collaboration, listen carefully, and seek to lead from a grounded sense of calling—trusting the Holy Spirit to guide both the church and its leaders.

 

31. Decision Making: Give an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision as a leader and how you made that decision.

One of the most difficult decisions I’ve faced as a leader was considering a pastoral role that required my family to move from Florida to Texas for my youngest daughter’s senior year of high school. At first, I said no—I couldn’t ask her to leave at such an important time.

After prayer, reflection and conversation with my wife, we realized the opportunity might be something God was calling us to. We felt we needed to involve our daughter in the discussion. When we spoke with her, she was honest about her feelings and even cried, but ultimately expressed that she trusted God’s guidance and supported the possibility.

This experience reinforced for me the importance of balancing wise family discernment with openness to God’s calling. The decision required patience, prayer, and deep listening. It reminded me that leadership often involves navigating complex personal and professional considerations with integrity and care.

 

32. Confrontation: Give an example of a time when you had to confront an employee or colleague over behavior or beliefs contrary to those agreed upon and how you handled it.

One of the most challenging situations I have faced as a lead pastor involved a children’s ministry director, who misrepresented herself as a registered nurse during our preschool accreditation process. When the issue came to light, it was clear that we could not overlook the dishonesty. Because of the seriousness of her actions, we needed to terminate her employment.

I approached the situation with care, working closely with my executive pastor and the personnel committee to ensure the process was handled fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with church policies. While the director had been a long-term and well-liked staff member, it was important to maintain trust, integrity, and accountability within the church. Throughout the process, I attempted to balance pastoral concern with the responsibility to uphold the standards of the ministry, clearly communicating to staff and volunteers the reasons for our decision without breaching confidentiality.

 

33. Teaching: What experience do you have in a teaching role? How has your teaching style evolved during your ministry?

I have been teaching Sunday School classes and Bible studies for the past 35 years, and I also spent six years teaching an Introduction to World Religions course at Strayer University. That experience allowed me to engage with non-traditional college students, many of whom were unchurched, creating opportunities for meaningful conversations that often led to deeper faith discussions and gospel conversations.

Early in my ministry, my teaching tended to be lecture-focused, with too much standing and speaking while primarily disseminating information. Over time, I have intentionally shifted toward more interactive approaches, incorporating active learning through discussion, problem-solving, and activities. I also utilize the Socratic method to encourage learners to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize knowledge. This evolution has allowed me to create learning environments that are engaging, thought-provoking, and transformational, helping people connect both intellectually and spiritually with the material.