My Story

I was born in Paris, France while my father was on a five-year overseas assignment with IBM.  The family returned to the States just before my fourth birthday, so  I don’t remember much.  But it left our family with a love for France and an awareness of the need for strong, dynamic churches. Years later, while my older brother was in college, he returned to study at a Bible institute in Paris and now serves as a pastor of a evangelical church in Toulouse, France.

While I was doing my undergraduate studies at Moody Bible Institute, I decided to take a year off and study abroad. My research led me to the Bible Institute of Geneva, and I completed the first-year program in 2004. After returning and finishing at Moody, I studied at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  After I graduated, I served at Trinity Community Church as a Preaching Pastor in 2009, and then Lead Pastor starting in 2010.  During this time I had the privilege of serving in a variety of short-term mission trips.

I grew to love being a pastor.  The church community taught me more than I taught them– they showed me what it means to be a pastor, the joys and challenges of ministry in a local church, and the power of the gospel in the everyday ups and downs of life. These past four years have been some of the richest in my life.  I have grown personally, made deep friendships, and seen God work.  I was not anxious to leave.

However, I had the consistent and growing conviction that God was calling me to international work, most likely in France. The decision to leave was hard.  I shared my thinking with the elders asked them to help me discern God’s leading and join me in praying for God’s wisdom and God’s will.  By summer 2014, I had reached a decision and made the plan for leaving Trinity by early January 2015. In part, because I am giving a longer lead-time, I have not determined the specific way I will serve in France.  For more information about this and to join me in praying for God’s blessing and wisdom, join the email update list.