Can you share about your ministry calling and career?

“I was called to ministry at Super Summer before my senior year of high school. Less than three years later I had gone to Oklahoma Baptist University to prepare for ministry, married my high school sweetheart and began my career in youth ministry at a church there in Shawnee. I served in full-time youth ministry in McAlester, Muskogee and Holdenville before answering God’s calling to go to Alaska and pastor a church there. My wife and I struggled with this decision because it represented giving to God something huge that we had held back from Him. For Kecia, it was moving away from family, and for me it was pastoring a church. I felt that I was called to student ministry and never wanted to be a pastor, but we knew that this was where and what God was calling us to. After learning and growing tremendously over those nearly five years in Alaska, we returned to youth ministry in Texas. In 2016, we came to Fitzhugh and spent five years as youth minister here. When our pastor retired, I was called as pastor and have been doing that for nearly four years now.”

Can you tell us about your family?

“My wife, Kecia and I have been married for 31 years and she has been a true partner in life and ministry every minute of it. We have two kids, Keira and Rylan, who both love and follow Jesus and we could not be prouder of them. They have given us three grandchildren, who we take every opportunity we get to spoil rotten.”

God is doing some amazing things at Fitzhugh. Can you share about some of the ways the Lord is at work in your church and community now?

“When I became the pastor at Fitzhugh, I knew that this was a great church because I had already spent five years as the youth minister here. Yet during the COVID year, some things came forward I knew that we needed to grow in. Like many churches, that was a hard time. We lost some members. In addition, our pastor of 30 years retired in 2021. It was a hard time, but the Lord kept me here and called me out to lead us through a hard time. The first couple of years, our focus was on community. Fitzhugh has always been a loving and community-oriented church, but we needed to re-discover how to love each other deeply. The second year, our focus was on cooperation. We celebrated how our church was deeply committed to cooperating in our association, our state convention and the SBC to send the Gospel around the world. This year, we have challenged and equipped our church to live out the Great Commission personally, and we have seen our people praying for their lost friends and family, seeking out opportunities to have spiritual and gospel conversations, and we have celebrated so many of those people receiving Jesus and being baptized!

“The truly incredible thing is that all of this has happened during a really tough time. In this last 14 months or so, we have walked through tragedies, injuries, serious health scares, difficult family struggles and more with nearly every family in our church. But through all of that, we have seen two things. Our church family has truly grown to love and support one another in a way that they never did before, and we have learned that God is faithfully leading us no matter what comes our way—we can trust Him.

“A few Sundays ago, I was able to report to our church that our monthly Sunday School average was back to where it was before COVID. God has truly grown our congregation in number, and in faith and in love for the Lord and one another.

“We also have a building program that is underway, but that is not even the most exciting thing that is going on here. This is a really mature, faithful, loving, generous and godly congregation, and I am blessed to be their pastor.”

Your congregation is active in missions and giving. Why is it important for your church to support the Cooperative Program?

“Our commitment to missions and cooperation has always been a priority at Fitzhugh. When I was pastoring in Alaska, Fitzhugh actually paid the salary for our youth minister for about 9 months. They have done things like that for years, and they continue to have a generous heart towards their pastor and staff, other churches and our community. In addition, our church gives a total of 23 percent of every dollar to cooperative ministry, either in our association or to the CP. I’m sure there are other churches that do that, but I am so proud to be the pastor of a church that values missions to that degree.”

How can Oklahoma Baptists pray for you?

“I think the biggest prayer request for me as a pastor would be that God would continue to work through me to minister to this congregation even when I have no idea what I’m doing! I am a career youth minister who the Lord called out to pastor this church. Pray that God would continue to work through me and in me as I strive to serve Him faithfully.”