Pastor’s Page

Hello and Welcome!

I am an ordained Minister of Word & Sacrament (a.k.a. Teaching Elder) in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). I most recently served as pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church in rural Missouri, outside of St. Louis. I am a member of the Presbytery of South Alabama and currently work full-time as the Community Education Specialist at The Lighthouse – a local domestic violence and sexual assault services center in Robertsdale. I look forward to the process of becoming dually credentialed with the United Church of Christ.

Over the past year, I have sought to serve a congregation that is passionate about serving its community as the hands and feet of Christ, is open to the Spirit’s movement in new and different forms of church, seeks to bring about social justice in the world, and is fully welcoming, affirming, and inclusive of ALL people.

Therefore, I am excited to accept the call to be your next pastor at Open Table United Church of Christ in Mobile, AL. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead you, the members of Open Table, as you continue pursuing your call to love God, to love your neighbors, and to welcome ALL people to be nourished at the Open Table of Christ. I hope that this page gives you a bit more insight into my journey as a follower of Jesus and my work as a pastor and spiritual leader. For more details please visit my personal website.

If you want to know how you can join this spiritual adventure and support the growth of this progressive faith community, I welcome the chance to hear from you. Please use the Contact Us link at the top right to email me and I’ll be in touch. I am unafraid to bring the light of the Gospel to current events happening both in the Church and around our world and also enjoy bringing my theatre background to the pulpit with sermons written as character monologues. Each week my sermons are live streamed at Open Table’s Facebook page. Please take a look.

Here’s some more information about my background and experiences:

• Grew up in the small town of Southside in northeastern Alabama and graduated from the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science in Mobile, AL in 1998.
• Completed an undergraduate degree in Theater Studies from Maryville College in Tennessee where I met and married Kellie Silva, found my way back to my faith and joined the Presbyterian Church (USA).
• During a difficult and painful schism in my congregation (Heritage Presbyterian Church, Houston, TX) I felt my first call to ministry and subsequently received an M.Div. and Master of Arts in Ministry with Young People from Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey.
• Served as Director of Children, Youth, & Family Ministries at Trinity Presbyterian Church in East Brunswick, NJ.
• Spent a summer working as CPE Chaplain at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, NJ.
• Accepted first call to ministry at rural Grace Presbyterian Church in Crystal City, MO.
• Served as Co-President of elementary school PTO, Board Member for the local Homeless Youth Initiative, Secretary of the local Ministerial Alliance, and as Faith Outreach Lead for the local chapter of Moms Demand Action.
• Taught World Religions as an adjunct at Jefferson College, Hillsboro, MO.
• Came out, with my wife, as gay/lesbian to our congregation, made a decision to divorce, and are raising our three children, Joey, Owen, and Aaron.
• Found love again with partner, Lawrence; am currently living in Gulf Shores and looking forward to moving to Mobile in March 2021.