About

After graduating from RVA, I traveled to the US for college. I spent one year at Biola College, a Christian college in Southern California. I then transferred to Western Washington State College where I received my bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Anthropology. At Western, my faith was tested against the secular doctrines of the day and the self-guided lives of many of my fellow students during the turbulence of the early 1970’s. Observing firsthand the chaos of man’s search for knowledge and meaning apart from God only confirmed my faith in Jesus Christ. I also came to a renewed appreciation for the importance of the local church in the life of the believer. During my junior year, I married Esther Ruth (nee Hulbert). She is also the child of missionaries and grew up in Zambia. We met at Rift Valley Academy and after high school and two years of long-distance relationship and hundreds of letters, we were married and began life together. She committed to being the breadwinner while I continued my studies. I enrolled at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and received the M.Div. degree in 1975 with the goal of becoming a pastor, but with a strong interest in international missions.

God’s leading first took us to Palmer, Alaska to pastor a small, rural church called Lazy Mountain Bible Church (don’t smile: it was the name of the mountain, not a description of the people!) for 7 years, during which God also grew our family by giving us two sons, Drew and Dennis. From Alaska it was back to Nairobi, Kenya for 4 years where I pastored a small, city church that used English in their worship services but drew worshippers from multiple tribal backgrounds. A brief stint in the US followed in Fresno, California where I served on the pastoral staff of a counseling center called Link Care, providing member care to missionaries and pastors.

At age 39, God began to draw our different life and ministry experiences together and launch us into the primary life work he had for us. It came in the form of a call to pastor the Evangelical Community Church of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, a small, oil-rich state located at the southern end of the Arabian (sometimes called Persian) Gulf. With lots of wealth, but a relatively small population, the UAE imports workers from around the world. At last calculation, over 80% of the resident population is comprised of workers from other countries. While the UAE is a Muslim country, many of these workers are not. A significant number of them are Christians. The UAE has been very tolerant and generous in allowing Christians to practice their faith. We arrived to find a small congregation of around 100 worshipers from 15 different nationalities. This would become our home and our place of ministry for the next 25 years.

Little did we know what God had in store as we watched God grow that small congregation into a congregation of over 1200 worshipers from more than 60 nations. We survived two major building programs and multiple challenges as well as enjoying many opportunities to see God at work. It was a unique place of service with a diverse congregation that was constantly changing. Many people came to work on contracts that lasted only 2 to 3 years so there was a constant turnover. We adopted the church motto: From the Nations…to the Nations. As God brought people to Abu Dhabi and to our church, our vision was to win them to Christ, disciple them, and prepare them to make an impact back in their home country or wherever God took them on the next phase of their journey.

Which all brings me to the reason for this website. In all my different church settings, whether small and rural, small and urban, or growing and international, I had one priority; to faithfully and systematically expound God’s Word in a relevant and impactful way. I was often amazed and delighted to witness, again and again, how God’s truth transcends cultural differences and speaks to human hearts. From the beginning of my ministry in Abu Dhabi, my sermons were recorded. We had a “tape ministry” that reproduced cassette tapes. As technology advanced, these became CD’s. Later in our time, Stephen Guru, a faithful brother from India, took on the challenge of digitizing all the sermon recordings (25 years’ worth by the time we finished!) This is the treasure trove of sermons that make up the sermon section of this website.

I retired from active ministry in 2015 and we left Abu Dhabi in early 2016. We currently reside in Bend, Oregon where I continue to share God’s Word as he gives opportunity through guest speaking and writing.

My goal for the website is simple: for the glory of God and the spiritual refreshment of his people. It is my prayer that you will find something here that will meet you at your point of need, whether that be comfort, challenge, or conviction, and lead you on to a closer walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to whom belongs all the glory and praise.