I grew up in church and learned all of the "religious lingo" that a good church kid should know, then joined the church when I was eight years old. It was not until nearly seven years later that God convinced me that I was guilty of sinning against Him and that Jesus loved me and had given His life in payment for my sins. It was at that time that I prayed for Jesus to take charge of my life. I had turned from my self-centered life and by faith had placed it in the hands of Jesus my Savior and Lord.
I married my lovely wife, Noella, in 1972 and still marvel at how good God is in making her my partner for life. God called me to minister His word in 1975, and after 4 years of seminary, I began my first pastorate in Union City, OK. Pawnee is our sixth church to serve, beginning in February, 2013. We love it here and are excited about what God wants to accomplish through Pawnee First Baptist.
God has blessed us with three children, Christy, Melissa, and Jay, plus six almost perfect grandchildren--Audrey, Annaliese, Eve, Elizabeth, Griffin, and Riley, and a great-granddaughter. Pictures are available upon request.
I believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and take very seriously my responsibility to teach it to God's people and to share its saving truth with those who are not yet His. My greatest joy comes when I see someone come to Christ, remain faithful to Him, and grow spiritually. We are born again according to His truth (1 Pet 1:23) and it is by that same truth that we grow (2 Tim 3:16). We hope you'll come celebrate the love and truth of God with us. May He richly bless you.
