About Grace

My ministry journey began in 2013, and for over a decade, I have led various youth and young adult ministries, including serving on staff at Grace, helping lead our Youth Ministry while now serving as a Pastor and Community Group Leader. In 2016, I married my best friend and forever bride, Lily. Together, we have been blessed with three wonderful children — Josephine, Eliza, and Samuel. I am currently enrolled at Grimké Seminary where I am furthering my theological education. In partnership with this, my wife and I are prayerfully preparing to plant a church within the next two years. In all things, my life mission is to expand the glories of our King by calling people to repentance, teaching them to obey the commands of Christ, and shepherding them to enjoy the blessings of knowing the loving Father who ransomed us from eternal damnation apart from Him.

I am blessed to be the husband of one wife, Lisa, since 1984 and father to three adult children, Julie, Amy, and Jason. Both Lisa and I, as well as our children, were saved in our childhood. The Lord has consistently been gracious as he has led us and kept us. As I mature in faith, I can say along with Paul, “I am chief among sinners,” as I realize my utter dependency on my mighty Savior. We have been a part of Grace Bible since Easter 2013, when Crossroads Community Church joined with Grace. I served as a bi-vocational pastor/elder at Crossroads for four years, and prior to that was part of pastoral preaching teams for seven years. Lisa and I have been involved in church ministry and leadership from the early years of our marriage, serving and teaching in children’s classes, home fellowship groups, and as community group leaders. We are so thankful to be part of the body at Grace Bible.

My wife Bobbie and I met in High School and we will celebrate our 57th anniversary this year. We have three married children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. After high school, I enlisted in the Air Force for a four-year hitch (one-year tour in Vietnam) as a Crash/Rescue Firefighter. After military service, I was a Portland Firefighter for 25 years. I became a Christian at 25 years old. Since my conversion I have taught adult classes, discipled many men, and led adult and men's Bible studies. My wife and I have counseled many marriages and I was the part-time Director of Men's Ministries for almost three years at our previous church of 38 years. Since being at GBC, I have continued being a shepherd, leading a Community Group, co-leading the greeting team, and leading a men's study. In our remaining years, we want to continue our legacy for Christ in our family and our church.

I am the lead pastor and primary teaching elder of Grace Bible Church. I have been married to my wonderful wife Heidi since 1997, and we have three beautiful children together, Elizabeth, Rachel, and Benjamin. I served in various student ministries beginning in 1996, and graduated from The Master’s Seminary in 2003 with a Masters of Divinity. I recently received my Doctorate of Ministry from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Previous to planting Grace Bible Church of Bend, I was the Student Ministry Pastor at Independent Bible Church in Port Angeles from June of 2003 - June of 2011. The desire of my heart is to glorify God by using my life and gifts to help people follow the Lord Jesus Christ. I am committed to preaching the eternal truths of God’s Holy Word and calling people to live as the body of Christ in community with one another.

After a dramatic conversion in my mid-20s, I joined a Bible-teaching church where I learned the foundations of the faith and the importance of the spiritual disciplines to draw near to the Lord and live for Him. Like most men, I married up. My wonderful wife Mayumi and I have been married 27 years and have 4 kids; Aki (26), Kai (24), Riki (21), and Kan (19). We moved to Bend 10 years ago and began attending Grace. I started a Biblical Counseling ministry here and became a Community Group leader. After 25 years as a teacher and principal, I joined the Grace staff in 2018. What a blessing it is to serve the saints at Grace as the Director of Discipleship. I love God and love people. I enjoy helping people find biblical solutions to their problems, connecting them in community, and encouraging them in their growth in Christ.

God blessed me with an amazing wife, Carrie, and we have been married since 1992. We are the parents and in-laws to Connor (Gracie), Carissa (Alex), and Cambree (Cade), and recently became grandparents to James Scott. Carrie and I met at the young ages of 17 and 18, and upon her invitation to attend church with her, I gave my life to the Lord at age 19. We started attending Grace Bible when services were held at the Boys and Girls Club. I love how the Gospel is consistently preached in the teaching and ministries of Grace. I have had the privilege of being a Community Group leader, serving on the greeting team, and discipling in the Biblical Counseling program. I desire to see others know Christ and grow as believers within our local body. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, playing basketball, or enjoying the beauty of Central Oregon.

I grew up in a Christian home and went to church every Sunday, but it wasn't until high school when God really got a hold of my heart through friends of mine who challenged me to stop pretending and to start living the faith that I professed. I took them up on that challenge, and as I was reading Romans 12, I was convicted that my life did not reflect a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. I called out to Him in repentance and clung to Him in faith, and from that moment on my life had a whole new trajectory, which ultimately has led me here to Grace, partnering with families as we raise our kids together to love and serve Jesus with their whole hearts, minds, and strength. My wife Naomi and I have seven children, and we love how our Grace family has supported us and become like a large extended family!

My wife, Erika, and our three daughters moved to Central Oregon 5 years ago after losing our home to the Camp Fire in Paradise, CA. Before our move, we attended Ridge Presbyterian Church in Paradise where I served as a Ruling Elder from 2010 to 2019. We appreciate Grace Bible Church’s commitment to Gospel-centered, Jesus-focused, exegetical preaching with a focus on developing strong relationships through Community Groups. We currently host a Community Group in our home in Redmond. Erika is a first-grade teacher at Sisters Elementary and I am a real estate broker with Keller Williams Central Oregon. I look forward to what God has in store for Grace Bible Church and future opportunities for helping in any way I can bring the Gospel to Central Oregon.

I first heard the Gospel and put my trust in Jesus as my Savior as a college freshman. I got involved with the Navigators college group, where I grew in my faith, and met my future wife, Holly. After graduating from the University of Washington in 1983, we married in 1986 and I served in the US Navy for 8 years. After separating from the service, we relocated back to the Seattle area where I began a 25-year career with the Boeing Company while Holly homeschooled our children. We retired and moved to Central Oregon in 2016, attending Grace for the first time in spring 2017. We are blessed with 4 adult children, all married, and 5 beautiful grandchildren. Holly and I love the Gospel-centered community of GBC, and enjoy being involved with the Biblical Counseling ministry and serving as Community Group leaders.

I came to faith at a young age, but ultimately surrendered my life to Christ while attending Oregon State University. After graduating with a degree in English literature, I spent the next decade as a missionary with Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ). After my time with Cru, God led me into a job with Nationwide Insurance, where I currently work. My family and I started attending GBC in January 2021. I have served in several capacities here as a Community Group leader and as a member of the Security Team. My wife Alli and I got married in 2013, and we have been blessed with three wonderful kids - Caleb, Logan, and Rylie. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, being outdoors, reading, and running.