My Mission is to Love God and Other People and Make Disciples every day of my life. My goal for each person I meet is that they be closer to God and others after knowing me. My challenge in these days is to build a church from a small dysfunctional group fo people who try to love God and others most of the time as a joyful servant leader.

I currently serve Eastside Church in Gastonia, NC as pastor (www.EastsideNC.org). I have been there since 1997. We have a compassionate Ministry, Gaston Hope in Christ, which has provided tutoring to at-risk and other selected students since 2001. I also serve as a hospital chaplain at Gaston Memorial Hospital (www.GMH.org).

I was born in Birmingham, AL, graduated from Gardendale High School, spent two eyars at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, then finished my B.A. at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville (www.Trevecca.edu). I completed a M.Div. at Nazarene Theological Seminary in KC, MO (www.NTS.edu).

Work experience has included my family's print shop (The Fine Line in Gardendale, AL) for 15 years, 1 year at Radio Shack selling computers, the UAB bookstore, the Nashville public library, Kerr Publishing, a small nondenominational publisher in Nashville; Collegiate Services, Inc., a Nashville contracting and cleaning company, 8/12 years with the YMCA in Kansas City and Belmont, NC, and pastoral work in Asheville, NC, Forest City, NC, and here.

Interests include sports (below), reading, history (especially war & US), business, leadership, and people.

Sports: I play less than I used to, but still enjoy flag football and basketball, and can play at racquetball and golf (and almost anything if my opponents are school-age kids!) I watch and follow Football (Alabama, KC Chiefs and Carolina Panthers), Basketball (Duke and NBA), baseball (Royals & Braves) and some other stuff when it's on.