Department: Worship

Joined Gateway Staff: January 2001

Family: Married to Mary Beth in 1994, son Harrison born in 2004

Saved: When I was 3, every year at church camp, every week at church, etc … Just kidding. I was saved when I was a small child, but fully gave my life to the Lord my junior year of college.

Education: B.S. Civil Engineering from West Virginia University Tech (go Mountaineers!) and Practical Theology from Christ For the Nations Institute (CFNI)

Previous Lines of Work: After graduating from West Virginia Tech, I worked in the engineering field for a few years. After graduating from CFNI, I went on staff there where I was the Director of the School of Worship. At other churches, I've also been a youth pastor, a worship pastor, a “music minister” and a whatever-needs-to-be-done guy.

One of the Things I Find Most Fascinating: Some of my deepest fascinations are reserved for people who are über-creative.

FAVORITE
Books: The Purple Cow by Seth Godin, The Cider House Rules by John Irving and East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Food: Sushi, Sushi, Sushi (for breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night snack, or intravenously)!!!!
Snack Food: Uh, Sushi (or ice cream)
Movies: My three favorites are Memento, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Matrix
TV Show: Arrested Development
CD: Journey Greatest Hits
Actor: Matthew Broderick (all because of Ferris Bueller)
Actress: Cate Blanchett
Time of Day: Morning and Night (mid-day, not so much)
Season: Septober (between September & October) in West Virginia
Place in the World: San Diego
Place to Pray: In the car
Recreational Activities/Hobbies: Running, going to the gym, reading, writing, Xbox 360, reality TV (sadly)
Scripture: Romans 1:20
Sports Team: Dallas Cowboys and the West Virginia Mountaineers
Sport: Football

LEAST FAVORITE
Food: Greasy and/or fried
Snack Food: Doritos
Time of Day: the after-lunch lull
Season: Love ’em all
Place in the World: Buildings riddled with mold and asbestos (my junior high)
Sports Team: All the teams in the NFC East that are not the Dallas Cowboys

Best Thing Someone Said to You: I love you (with her eyes).

Life Motto: Be a guide for others to find Jesus

Three People I’d Like to Meet: Jesus, Billy Graham, suffering saints around the world

My Hero: My wife

One of My Greatest Experiences with God: When He told me that He was calling me to be the worship pastor at Gateway Church.

Most People Don’t Know This About Me: Love math problems, not a big fan of talk radio, love cold/snowy weather, have a thick country accent that comes out when I'm relaxed or put in duress, embrace random factoids and conversations, hate my 8th grade school picture (the apex of geeky), love it when people inadvertently whistle when they say "s.”