I have worked in church planting and leadership development for over 30 years, including numerous leadership roles in churches, teams, and organizations. I led a church planting team that established Cross Road Church in an unchurched community in Okayama, a major city of southwestern Japan, in 1997. Cross Road thrives today under Japanese leadership – including our former teammates.
In Japan, I learned that church planting requires one to practice many roles: pastor, teacher, discipler, language learner, counselor, evangelist, strategist, worship leader, administrator, fundraiser, finance manager, janitor, graphic designer, marketing director, painter, . . . before I go on I should clarify that several of these roles are not my areas of expertise! Don’t ask me to design your marketing campaign or paint your ceiling.
Since leading the team that started CrossRoad Church, my wife and I have been members of church planting teams in two amazing and amazingly different cities, Tokyo and Prague. And I’ve been engaged in helping cross-cultural ministry teams and their leaders to thrive around the world.
Throughout my years of ministry, I am continually reminded that listening is more important than speaking, that teaming with others in cross-cultural ministry also requires great sacrifice and produces even greater joy, and that leadership requires humility , creativity and a constant, conscious communion with Christ.
As a teaming consultant and coach, I help teams to launch & to maintain healthy practices so that they can achieve the goals the Lord is calling them to pursue.
As a leadership coach, I help leaders to clarify and achieve goals and to grow as servants in Christ’s Kingdom.
Education
Th.M. in Cross-cultural Church Planting, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1994
M.A. in Organizational Management & Development, Fielding Graduate University, 2010
Ph.D. in Human Development, Fielding Graduate University, 2015. Associate Certified Coach, International Coach Federation, since 2016.
Family
I’ve been happily married to Kathy for 35 years and am the proud father to three sons and three daughters-in-law, and grandfather to three granddaughters.