Hello
I'm so glad you've wandered to the website of Burlington Lutheran. Welcome. Feel free to check us out, attend online worship, and come visit when possible. Drop me an email to go out for coffee and/or a walk; I love to meet new people, trade stories, and scheme about how we can make life better for all life.
Born into an Air Force family, I grew up in various places in the US and Europe, receiving first-hand experience in how different cultures can be. My family attended ecumenical Protestant worship services in multi-faith military chapels, which meant that I developed a value for interfaith collaboration at a very young age.
Even though I enjoyed earning degrees in sports medicine and cardiac rehabilitation, I ended up working in college ministry in North Carolina. Eventually realizing that my theological training was woefully inadequate, and wanting to experience more of the "bigness" of God, I felt the pull to seminary.
A year after graduating from Regent College in Vancouver, BC, I was ordained as a Baptist pastor and eventually, after hospital chaplaincy and working as a gear expert at REI, I found my way into the wide and warm embrace of the Lutherans. In 2013 I had the privilege to found Echoes Bellingham, a creative, experimental faith community in Bellingham, while also working a second "normal" job in the community. In January of 2022 I accepted enthusiastically the call to become the pastor at Burlington Lutheran. I've been here for a few years now, and I'm still so excited to be with this unique, vibrant faith community. At BLC I have never been told, "This is the way we always do things." The flexible nature of the people of BLC is a perfect fit for my inclination to try new things as a church. I really can't imagine a better church to be a part of, and I invite you to come see for yourself, and become a part of what is growing here.
​
Free time is usually spent with my wife Deborah (our wedding was quite the event!), getting outdoors, dreaming of the perfect camper van, learning new things that may or may not make any difference in life, or expanding my bucket list to impossible-to-achieve proportions.
​