Poplar Springs United Methodist Church

I am excited for this opportunity to come alongside you and to walk with you as we discern as a community God’s call on our lives.  I look forward to getting to know you, to learn from you, and grow with you in the knowledge and love of God.   

I was baptized and brought up in the Episcopal Church and I am a graduate of Sewanee, The University of the South, an Episcopal-owned university, with a bachelor’s degree in history.  My wife was the United Methodist and I joined the United Methodist Church seven years after we were married where my faith was deepened and strengthened.  It was there, in the words of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, that my heart was “strangely warmed” and the Holy Spirit gave me the blessed assurance of God’s unconditional love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. 

It was twelve years ago that I began to explore the calling on my heart to pursue ordained ministry.  At the time, I was a partner in CohnReznick, a large public accounting firm, living a busy life with my wife, Belinda, and my two children, Alicia and Patrick in Columbia, Md.  In May, 2020, I completed my Master of Divinity degree at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. and will be commissioned as a Provisional Elder in the United Methodist Church in September, 2020.

Prior to my appointment to the Poplar Springs Charge, I served as a seminarian intern at Westminster UMC, Westminster, Md.  My primary focus was on pastoral care and ministry to young children.

I am no stranger to the workings of a church, having been an active member for 23 years at Mt. Zion UMC, Highland, Md.  There I was a certified lay speaker, which gave me an opportunity to speak in the church, and a Stephen’s Ministry leader, which gave me a chance to walk alongside folks and provide Christian care to those suffering from grief or loss.  Other leadership roles included the Staff Parish Relations Committee, Church Council, Lay Leader, Worship Arts, and Stewardship.  I also served on district and conference boards as a lay person.

Missions are near and dear to my heart.  It started with my 13-year involvement in Camp Hope.  Camp Hope is a youth mission project in Western Maryland serving low-income families to repair homes and build relationships with the homeowner.  In Mississippi, I worked to build a new home for a family whose home was lost in Hurricane Katrina.  My most recent mission trip to the Dominican Republic with The Least of These Ministry was my first foreign mission trip. 

Before I answered the call to ordained ministry, I was a Certified Public Accountant for 32 years.  I also have a Masters of International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management, Glendale, Az., commonly known as Thunderbird. 

Before the pandemic I enjoyed going to the movies and traveling.  I also like to read and work out.  Currently I am reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin.