How did God call you?
Some time ago a missionary came to our church to about Indonesia, about the millions Indonesians who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus. As he spoke the Lord came over me in a powerful way and at that moment I knew that He was calling my family and me to go and serve in Indonesia.
Where I'm living it's easy to raise a family and enjoy the things of life. The church I've been pastoring is wonderful, but Jesus is calling us to go and serve Him, to stand before the powers of this dark world and declare deliverance in Indonesia. The book of Isaiah says, "I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
How did you come to faith in Christ.
The most important experience of my life was becoming a follower of Christ. I grew up as a Catholic, but God and church were not truly a part of my life. In my senior year of high school (1979) I began searching for God, reading and trying various ways to find Him. I continued this search in college, where I met a Christian who belonged to the Navigators, (Dean). He gave me his Bible to read and I began in the book of Matthew. The Word came alive to me and I knew this is what I was looking for! Dean spent time discipling me and investing in me, which helped to lay a solid foundation upon which I was able to grow.
Are you working through any organization?
Yes, I am working with the Assemblies of God World Missions.
What Previous experience do you have that will help you fulfill God's call?
In 1992 we planted New Hope Chapel in RI. I pastored there for 16 years.
During that time we raised up pastors and planted three other churches throughout
southern Rhode Island.
Carol is a Nurse Practitioner specializing in Women's Health.
Carol is also a clinical instructor for University of Rhode Island Nursing Students.
What do you plan to do in Indonesia?
Our task is threefold:
1. To train and mentor Pastors.
2. To plant churches.
3. To open up Medical mission outreaches through Indonesia.
Can you tell me a little about your family?
I have been married to Carol for 21 years. She is the most amazing woman I know. We have a deep friendship and love serving the Lord together. We have two children, Rachel (age 18) and Renee (age 16). Rachel is in her second year in college. She is studying Chinese and international economics at Middleburry College. Renee is a Junior in high school and her aspiration is to start an orphanage in Africa!
What draws you to Indonesia?
Obviously the Lord is drawing us. Indonesia has the largest Muslim nation in the world (Population 245,000,000) There are more Muslims in Indonesia than in all of the middle eastern countries combined! The Lord longs to pour out His love on them! There are still 132 unreached people groups there, meaning that there are millions of people who have never heard of the name of Jesus. I met some of them while I was ministering there. THIS IS WHAT DRAWS ME THERE!