What does your job involve?
Directing the choir, leading worship in the 9 a.m. service and serving as one of the staff arrangers.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, but raised in Lumberton, North Carolina.
How big is the family you grew up in?
It was a small family, just my parents, my twin sister and me.
Did you grow up in a Christian home?
I did. My mom was a strong believer, very active in church. As the organist in our home church, she was a huge influence on me.
How old were you when you came to know Christ?
I was always in church, so I was always around [Christianity]. But when I was 10 years old, I realized that I needed to make a definite decision — that I needed to be sure about it and make it my own. I was at a Royal Ambassadors youth camp one summer and just felt a conviction that I needed to give my heart to Jesus. Every night they had a special service with music and a message, and it was at one of those meetings that I felt, Yes, I need to make this decision.
What was the first job you ever had?
The first thing I was ever paid for was to pick cucumbers in my grandfather’s field when I was about 14. It was tough getting out there at 5 or 6 in the morning. Those cucumber bushes had thorns on them, which made things a little tough.
When did you first realize you were musically inclined?
Like I said, because my mom was the church organist, I was always around music. Also, my dad was a little musically inclined; he sang in a Southern Gospel quartet and my mom played piano for it. She started me on piano lessons when I was 6, and I just took right to it. I always enjoyed practicing, my parents never had to force me. I loved it and took lessons all the way through high school and on into college. I started playing piano in church when I was about 10 years old and even at that young age I felt a call to music ministry.
When did you have a real sense that music ministry would be your profession?
Probably in college. I got involved in the Baptist Student Union, and they needed someone to lead worship. By that time, I had been playing piano for a while and had begun singing. So, they had a need and I just stepped up. That’s when I really began leading worship.
You got saved fairly young; did you ever have a time when you stepped away from the faith?
I had some years when I wrestled. After my parents got divorced when I was 12, I continued to go to church and my heart was still “soft” toward the Lord, but I had a period of about four years when I didn’t grow. I went through the motions, but the relationship with the Lord was not there. A lot of that had to do with the lack of people to disciple me. When I was 16, I started meeting people who were really on fire for the Lord. They started discipling me, teaching me about praying and reading the Bible every day. That’s when I really started to grow.
Where did you go to college?
I went to Virginia Tech with the intention of becoming an engineer. My dad is a doctor who makes a good income. He never liked the idea of me doing music or ministry because he didn’t think I’d make money at either one. He wanted me to study something I could fall back on. Because I was good at math, I picked electrical engineering.
How did that go?
I did it for four years, got through it and got my degree. But it was four years of restlessness; I didn’t enjoy it and my heart was not in it.
What happened next?
Because my heart was always in music and ministry, I decided to pursue that. I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston for two years [1993-95] and got my degree in music.
As a country boy from North Carolina, what did you think of Boston?
I loved it. The city is so dynamic and has so much character. Musically, it was more diverse than any southern city I know of. I also loved the culture, the environment, and even the weather.
What did living in the Northeast for to your faith?
It strengthened it. Because Boston is such a dark place philosophically, there is a lot of antagonism toward the gospel. There are also a lot of cults. Therefore, the evangelical churches have to really band together. You have to know what you believe. I experienced more fellowship and stronger believers in Boston than anywhere else. In the South, Christians are often complacent because there isn’t much of a challenge to their faith. But in the Northeast, if you go to church, you’re kind of made fun of. I grew more spiritually in Boston than anywhere else.
After graduating from Berklee, what was your next step?
I still felt called to music ministry, so I enrolled in Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
When and to whom did you marry?
I met Angie while at Southwestern on August 22, 1995. I walked into orientation and she was the first person I met. We were married a year later.
How many children to you have?
Three — Jack, Audrey and Foster.
Have you ever been on any long- or short-term mission trips?
As part of e3 Partners, I did church planting down in Venezuela and Romania. I also did mission work in Thailand.
How did you get into full-time ministry?
After graduating from seminary, I went on staff at First Baptist Church Euless just outside Dallas, Texas. I stayed for 11 years.
What were some of the highlights from your time in Euless?
I started off as an associate. But after about six years, we went through a very difficult time as a church family. The pastor and the music minister left, as well as about 20 other staff members. At that time, God led me to continue serving. I eventually became the Worship Pastor. God really stretched me because I never thought I’d ever become the primary music minister. I never sought it, but God had other plans.
What led you to First Orlando?
In June of 2009 [First Orlando Pastor of Worship/Event Coordination] Jon Marks called me and mentioned a need for someone to help lead worship and the choir during the 9 a.m. service. As I prayed about it, I began to feel excited about being part of the team here. On September 27, three men from the [First Orlando] personnel team came to Euless to see me lead worship. That same Sunday, our pastor preached from Acts 10, where God sent Cornelius to Peter. Peter then had a dream where God told him, “…three men are looking for you. … Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Angie and I felt that was a clear message from the Lord. We accepted the offer and moved here in December 2009.
What do you like best about your job?
I love being able to make an impact on people. Using music for the Lord has eternal value — not just something to make a living at. Being a music minister is not about entertainment, but changing lives. I love that.
Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
Romans 12:1: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Being a worship leader, that verse is what it’s all about for me.
What do you like to do with your free time?
I love spending time with my wife and kids. I’m also a big baseball fan and love to bowl.
If you weren’t in ministry, what would you be doing?
I would probably be in music, maybe as a touring or studio musician. Perhaps I’d even try making it as a [music] producer or writer.
Is there something about you people would be surprised to learn?
I was a heavy-metal rock musician when I was a teenager. I was somewhat of a star in my little hometown. I had the long hair and everything. Now as I look back, I say to myself, What was I thinking?