I was born in Seattle in October of 1977. A few weeks later I was baptized at St. Bernadette’s Roman Catholic Church in Burien. The first decade of my life was that of a strong Catholic upbringing. I attended parochial school, Catholic mass 6 days a week and excelled in religion class. All that came to an end with my parents’ divorce and I wandered spiritually over the next decade engaging in deeply sinful behavior. I was angry with God for my pain and my religious background had not equipped me to deal with that spiritual crisis.
The third decade of my life changed everything. It began a week before I turned 21 after I transferred to Western Washington University. I arrived there angry, hurt and lost–a sinner in need of a savior. Then on October 18, 1998 I met a man also named Bill who had just been released from prison where he had met Jesus. We talked for a while and then prayed. I wandered off from that meeting, prayed and in that prayer the Holy Spirit converted me and by the will of the Spirit I put my full faith, confidence and loyalty in King Jesus the Risen, trusting him as the Lord of my life and the Savior of my soul. Shortly after that night a friend took me to the INN, a college ministry, and there I was discipled and grew as a new believer. I met the pastor of FPC Bellingham who loaned me a copy of Calvin’s Institutes to read alongside my prolific study of the Scriptures. As I read my Bible I studied Calvin and became convinced of the Reformed position. I have maintained my loyalty to the Presbyterian system and Reformed theology ever since. Eventually I worked for the INN for a year before starting my career in the finance industry as a stockbroker for a little mutual fund company.
Through my time at the INN I met, fell in love with and married Tamara, my wonderful and loving wife. In conversation with her, our pastor and many friends in our small group and church, I eventually surrendered to God’s call to pastoral ministry. So, with many trepidations, we headed out to Princeton Seminary (who had correctly answered the question “How much?” with $0). At Princeton, as a Reformed and Evangelical believer I felt under spiritual attack constantly. My orthodox views of the Triune God, the saving work of Jesus Christ, the Bible and the Church were berated daily. I persevered through faith with my eye on serving God’s people.
My first call to ministry was to Merrrill Presbyterian Church in the rural Klamath Basin. It was there that I really learned what it meant to be a pastor. While there, my eldest two daughters, Marian and Karen, were born after thinking we would be unable to have children (to God be the glory). I preached the Gospel, evangelized the community and called people to faith and repentance with the Session and congregation.
After the death of my wife’s mother we felt the Holy Spirit leading us on from Merrill and we came to Community Presbyterian Church of Omak. It was there I joined the EPC and felt I had come home. It was also there that our youngest daughter, Sarah, was born. By God’s grace, I continued to preach the Gospel, evangelize the community and call people to faith and repentance with the help of the Session and congregation.
My continuing goal as the pastor of Parkway Presbyterian Church is to serve Christ by proclaiming his Gospel that saved me from sin, evangelizing the community and calling others to faith in repentance in Jesus with the aid of the Session and congregation.
