In The Beginning…

Like many families in our society I was born into a broken family with multiple levels of dysfunction on both sides.  I grew up with my mother and we were not dedicated church going people.  However, I got saved at eleven years of age during one of the distant cycles of rededication my mother would experience.  I heard Jesus speaking to me that day, I responded to the alter call and ran to the front of the church.  As the pastor prayed, I felt the deep warmness of the Holy Spirit overcoming my body as I wept.  To me, It was a powerful experience.  I was on fire for a year and couldn’t quench my desire to love Jesus.  Shortly thereafter, my family moved to Massachusetts and I never saw the inside of a church again until I was in my 30’s.  During this season of my life, Jesus still came to me in spiritual presence and dreams.  More recently He reveals to me He allowed me to go away from Him (prodigal son style) to become like my “fathers,” so He could bring me back again and send me back to the very people I allowed myself to become: lost, hurt, addicted, sinners; the least of these.

Life Outside the Fold

It didn’t take long for me to fall back into the world and become like my father’s.  I was a serious, heavy drinker; a functioning drunk if you will.  I would drink every night to pass out, get up the next morning and perform at high levels during the day only to do it all over again every evening.  I became a fighter, I experimented with multiple drugs – although alcohol was my drug of choice, sold drugs for a short term, was put in jail on a couple occasions, an adulterer, idolator, and adopted my favorite sin of debauchery.  The list of my sins runs all the way to heaven.  I am not proud of where I went in the early half of my life. I’ve broken every one of the 10 commandments, but that’s what makes Jesus and God’s mercy so special.    

Life’s Accomplishments…Despite Myself

Military.  After High School I immediately joined the military.  I wanted to get away from my life and my people. I became a combat veteran involved in two US Military Operations. As a soldier I was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Army Achievement Medal w/ 1 Oak Leif Cluster (x 2), Overseas Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Sharpshooter Badge and Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ 2 Bronze Stars.

Professional.  Professional Closer, General Manager of multi-million dollar businesses, and business owner.

Education.  AA – Computer Science.  Placed on Dean’s List all semesters during bachelor’s degree.  Held a cumulative 3.743 GPA.  Invited to Alpha Nu Omicron of Phi Theta Kappa – PTK international honor society (never accepted).  Overall Graduate and Seminary GPA of 3.270.  Graduate and Post Graduate field of study – Biblical Exposition. 

The Turn Around

My life began to spiral and I became miserable.  My job had taken me – yet again – to another state.  I was relationally destitute, drinking myself to death, and living hundreds of miles away from family.  I was all by myself and miserable.  One night, in Altoona Pennsylvania, I pulled my SUV over in front of a very nice Gothic Style church building to mix another drink.  I began to admire the building’s architecture, started thinking about Jesus, broke down crying, started praying and petitioned to Jesus to change my life and allow me to work for Him.  Years later The Father revealed to me, it was at that moment that He accepted my resume.

The Season of Repair

Within a couple years The Father moved me back home and surrounded me with immediate family (personal healing).  I got a job working next to a Christian man who rekindled my love interest in Jesus (spiritual healing).  After an age of self-estrangement from women, I met a woman who became my wife in 45 days (relational healing). We married to honor The Father with our lives – not ourselves – and trusted Him with everything.  We didn’t even know each other and it turned out to be the second best decision of my life.   

The Calling

Jesus called me into the ministry while I was still a drunk. Jesus removed smoking, drinking, and pornography from my life. After another period of time Jesus called me out of work and immediately moved me into an internship for church planting. Jesus put me through college, though a graduate program and onto seminary.  He made me “street ready” for ministry during the first part of my life. For those who believe college is required to do ministry, He sent me to college and gave me the necessary degrees. I’ve co-planted a church under another pastor, planted a church in South-East Baltimore, and ordained, partnered with and supported another pastor’s church plant. Jesus then calls me out of what I call “traditional-contemporary church” and re-directs the trajectory of my calling and ministry. Today, I am the founder of The Truth Project, of which you are reading the functioning of on this website. Jesus has given me a future vision for this ministry. The Project is currently in its young-adulthood phase.