THIS IS MY STORY.

I would like to share my testimony, which includes three parts.

1. MY BREAKING POINT:

In 2002, I graduated from the University of Alabama and soon began working for one of the top advertising agencies in New York City. I thought this was just the beginning of what it meant to "make it big" in life. However, Proverbs 16:9 says, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." 

Living on Long Island, I commuted over two hours each way on the train to Manhattan. I left home before 6 am each morning and often didn’t return until after 9 pm. As a result, I became almost 'non-existent' to my wife, Sarah, and our newborn daughter, Katelyn. During my morning commute, I frequently overheard conversations from fellow commuters. 

Like me, many of these business professionals took the same train each morning and sat in the same seats. Many had been enduring this lengthy commute for 20 to 30 years. It’s common for New Yorkers to live on Long Island and make this daily trek into the city for their entire careers. As a newcomer, I began to feel like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day. The stories I heard around me followed a similar theme: unhappy marriages, miserable lives, shattered relationships, scandals, and comparisons of material possessions. Listening to these tales each day had a profound impact on my perspective. It made me reconsider my purpose in life. 

As the exhausting commute continued, I started to question whether I was truly prepared for the “bright lights” and “big city” life that I had envisioned. This realization was a great disappointment to me, and I found myself caught off guard by the harsh realities of the competitive advertising industry. I felt myself starting to sink fast.

2. “LOST AND FOUND”:

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you,” Jeremiah 1:5. 

Growing up, my family wasn’t particularly religious, so when thoughts about God began to enter my mind for the first time, I felt alarmed. I started discussing these thoughts with Sarah, who prayed for me and shared bits and pieces of the gospel. Sarah was already a Christ-follower. At the time, I wanted nothing to do with God, the Bible, or “religion.” I identified as agnostic, primarily due to my ignorance. Until that point, I had never heard the gospel or read the Bible. 

As my situation at work became increasingly desperate, Sarah courageously continued to share more about Jesus with me. The idea of surrendering my life to Him seemed ridiculous, yet Sarah remained steadfastly by my side. Eventually, I found myself severely depressed and unable to get out of bed. I hit rock bottom. 

Unknown to me, God’s hand was upon me throughout this experience. What happened next changed both my life and my eternity. Now, 23 years later, it is still vividly clear in my mind. I fell to my knees in front of Sarah and cried out that I couldn’t live without God any longer. I confessed my need for Him in my life. 

Right there, I surrendered my life to Jesus and immediately asked Sarah for a Bible. This marked the beginning of a new life; I was born again. Once I became a Christ-follower, the Lord began the process of pruning me right away. It was a painful journey, as I had so much undiscovered hurt, insecurity, and pain buried deep inside. 

When I was 2 years old, my father had an affair and left for Texas, abandoning my mother, my three sisters, and me. I later learned that adultery and divorce ran deep in my family history. Destruction filled my family tree. My childhood was marked by emotional neglect and abuse, and I remember feeling extremely depressed from a very young age while struggling with debilitating anxiety. 

Looking back, I honestly can’t believe I hadn’t hit rock bottom before my early 20s. As a trauma survivor, the Lord has given me a strong desire to be a godly husband and father. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I am determined to break the cycle of sin that has plagued my family for generations.

3. CALL TO MINISTRY:

Romans 10:13-15 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

My calling as a pastor began at the first church I ever attended, Calvary Baptist Church in Port Jefferson Station, NY. I served in various capacities at Calvary Baptist and was baptized there on June 19, 2004. 

While serving in Awana Clubs, my pastor asked me to teach the pre-teens. I’ll never forget the first night I preached the gospel to them; it was as if a light went off in my head, and my calling became clear. I went home that night and shared the experience with Sarah. 

Five years later, I moved my family to Lynchburg, VA, to attend seminary at Liberty University. I graduated in 2014 with a Master’s in Theological Studies and was ordained that summer. Shortly thereafter, I accepted my first pastoral ministry role as the full-time Assistant Pastor and Youth Pastor at Grace Baptist Church in York, PA.

Currently, I serve in two ministry capacities: I am the Executive Director of a 501(c)(3) Christian nonprofit called CVCCS, in addition to being the Lead Pastor of Grace Community Fellowship.

I am a passionate follower of Christ, and my primary ministry is being a godly husband and father. I believe in living the same way from Monday to Saturday as I do on Sundays when preaching from the pulpit. In my humble opinion, there has never been a time in America when honesty, integrity, transparency, and humility have been needed more from pastors. I embrace this tremendous responsibility wholeheartedly. 

Character and integrity are not just words I strive to live by; they are my way of life. My passion for shepherding the Church is rooted in exegetical preaching, leading from my marriage, empowering discipleship that leads to genuine life change, and displaying the love of Jesus through impactful community outreach.

(May 2025) Left to right: Jon, daughter Becca, daughter Katelyn, and wife Sarah.