I’m married to Linda and we have four sons named Justin, Conor, Joel, and John-Abraham and one daughter named Sara.
I grew up in Detroit in a neighbourhood dominated by gangs, violence, and failing schools. I graduated from the University of Michigan and had an eight-year career in software before becoming a pastor. At the age of twenty-four, I began having doubts about God, church, and Christianity. This began a secret two-year journey of struggle which eventually led me to enroll in seminary to learn more about the Bible, theology, and philosophy.
I currently serve as the Director of the Send Institute at the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College where I lead and oversee all of its initiatives. Prior to directing the institute, I planted a church in Toronto where I also helped recruit, assess, and train church planters through the Send Network and the Release Initiative. I served on various church staffs including Northwood Church, led by Bob Roberts Jr., where I was mentored as a church planter and was involved in global and multi-faith engagement.
I earned an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Michigan, and am currently a Ph.D. Intercultural Studies student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.