My Testimony and Call to the Ministry ~
I received Christ as my Savior on November 28, 1993, at Trident Baptist Church in North Charleston, South Carolina. I followed the Lord’s command in believer’s baptism that same day. Shortly after I was saved, I had the opportunity to achieve my life-long dream of becoming a naval officer. However, God swiftly laid it upon my heart that this was not His desire for my life. Despite the Navy’s protests, I turned down a place in one of their most competitive commissioning programs. I was not certain what the Lord wanted from me, but I promised Him that I would do whatever He wanted with my life.
The week after I accepted Christ as my Savior, I began working in the Public School Teen Ministry at Trident Baptist Church. Also, I passed my CDL test and started driving a church bus. Through this opportunity, I learned how to be a soul-winner and started teaching a Sunday school class.
God continued to work on my heart and, in August of 1994, I surrendered to His call to preach. The very next week I began preaching in a nursing home. Since then I have had many opportunities to preach in nursing homes, teen church, Bible Club, Soldiers for Christ (teen ministry), big days and church services.
In 1995 I was transferred by the military to Kings Bay, Georgia and became a member of the Berean Baptist Church in Orange Park, Florida. I have served as a Sunday school teacher, soul-winner, Bible Club leader, usher and substitute bus driver ever since. While stationed in Kings Bay, I also earned a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master of Business Administration Degree.
I was discharged from the Navy in 1998. I enrolled in Berean Baptist College in 1999. I attended night college and worked for the railroad during the day.
In February of 2000, I listened intently as brother Tommy Ashcraft (a veteran missionary to Mexico) described what type of missionary was needed in the field. He pleaded for men to go, with commitment, who would start New Testament Baptist Churches on the mission field. He said that what the world really needs is strong, soul-winning, local New Testament Baptist churches. I knew then that God wanted me to go the mission field.
I graduated from Berean Baptist College in 2002 with a Master of Ministries Degree, with an emphasis in missions. After graduation, I continued to serve God at Berean Baptist Church in the Public School Teen Ministry, as an usher, a soul-winner and a Sunday school teacher.
As soon as I received my pastor’s approval to begin deputation, I began to move forward to raise support to obey the Great Commission on the foreign field. After 26 months of deputation we left for Costa Rica on April 24th, 2006. I finished language school in April 2007 and also took on a rescue work in Heredia along with two men from the Iglesia Biblica Bautista de Guadalupe. In September 2007 the Lord allowed us to start a Bible institute in Guadalupe training workers for the harvest. Lord willing, we will be starting a new work in Cartago in early 2008.