I was saved at the age of 8 in a revival service at Liberty Baptist Church in Mocksville, NC. I had for weeks been going to bed with fear in my heart and a desire to get saved but just could not grasp fully what being saved really meant. I remember that night I was under such conviction, and for the first time realized that I had to put my trust in His finished work. That if I indeed came to Him as a sinner, wanting to be forgiven of my sins then He would forgive my sins and cleanse me from my unrighteousness.

After my salvation I developed a strong and sincere and sweet relationship with God. I can remember many times during my childhood, singing and mediating and talking with the Lord. As with many young people, as I grew older I began to drift from that special relationship with God. I never got to the place where I didn’t go to church or didn’t try and maintain a relationship with Him, but I also began to bring a lot of things into my life that hurt that relationship.

I went to Pensacola Christian College and there God began to really work and deal with me about some things in my life. He began specifically to call me to preach. I began to negotiate with the Lord and told Him what I would do and He just kept wanting me to fully surrender. I was willing to preach and pastor or anything that he wanted my to do except one thing, and that was be willing to be a missionary and go where he wanted me to go. I was afraid. I didn’t know where God would send me, and didn’t know if I had the courage to follow Him to that place.

This struggle about fully surrendering went on for years. I worked in my church during this time. I taught in a Christian school. I taught Sunday School, ran the primary church department and preached in primary church. I even worked on a bus route, but I could not get away from that call to missions. Finally, two years ago I surrendered completely to the Lord.

I was miserable and I wanted that special relationship back. I was and am willing to do what ever He wants.

God began to deal with my heart about the need for more Independent, Baptist Churches in our country, specifically California. The most populated state in our country and yet has very few sound churches. My best friend from college had moved to California upon graduation and without being able to find a good church to attend, ended up in a charismatic, contemporary church. God used this and other things to solidify my call to California.