East Bristol Baptist
Bristol, Virginia 24201
276-669-7051

• Education: BA,University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1989. Major: Psychology. MDiv, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, 1992.
• Experience: -Far Hills Baptist Church, Dayton, Ohio, Summer Youth Internship, 1985. -FBC Dent, Cincinnati, Ohio, Minister of Youth, 1986-1989. -Clovereaf Baptist Church, Louisville, KY, Assoc. Pastor/Minister of Youth, 1990-1993. -FBC Eastwood, Louisville, KY, Pastor, 1993-1996. -East Bristol Baptist Church, Bristol, VA, Pastor, 1996-present.
• Comment to those looking at my sermons: Take what you can use, sight me as your source if you feel like it.
• Sermon or series that made a difference: Sitting under the preaching ministry of Rev. Geoffery Lacefield, Pastor of Cloverleaf Baptist Church, for three years. Brother Lacefield taught me how to preach with passion.
• One of my favorite illustrations: A man told the Lord that his cross was too heavy to carry any longer. So God brought him into a room and told him to put down his cross and trade it in for another. The man looked at a bewildering number of crosses, most of them so large they reached up into the heavens. Over in the corner was a tiny little cross sitting all by itself. The man sheepishly asked if he could have that one. The Lord replied, "Sorry, you don’t understand; that’s the one you came in here with."
• Family: I have been married to my wife, Andrea, for 23 years. The Lord has blessed us with three sons; Seth, age 19, Aaron, age 14, and Benjamin, age 12. I should also mention another important member of our family, Jenny, our seven year old mixed collie.
• What my parents think of my sermons: There’s Billy Graham, then right up there near him is me.
• What my spouse (really) thinks of my sermons: She is forever telling me that my sermons are wonderful, but entirely too long.
• Best advice given to me about preaching: "Be sure to get your proper training," and "Put the cookies on the bottom shelf where everyone can get to them." -Dr. Perry Sanders
• Books that have had an impact: What’s So Amazing About Grace, by Phillip Yancey The Testament, by John Grisham
• Hobbies: I enjoy reading, writing, playing the guitar, and spending time with my family.
• If I could Preach one more time, I would say...: Trust Jesus and make Him your all in all. Do that and you will be the person God wants you to be.
• Something funny that happened while preaching: Once when I was preaching our youngest son, who was about three at the time, got away from my wife and began crawling under the pews. I was preaching and ever so often a little blonde head would pop up between the pews, only to disappear, then re-appear a few pews away. My wife finally caught him and the congregation thought it was hilarious.
• What I want on my tombstone: He Preached