Testimony

I was born into a Christian family, but not of the usual type. My father had become a Christian only five years earlier, and my mother (they say), on the day of my conception. Consequently, I grew up around Christians who knew what the world offered and chose the faith instead. Soon after his conversion, my father entered a fairly liberal Episcopal seminary, but drew by degrees solidly conservative. As such, I also grew up around well educated Christians undeceived as to the current state of the Church. It was a very good place for any child in the wiles of postmodernism to grow up, and before long I too had become a Christian.

To be precise, I was five. Sitting in a pew at a large Atlanta church, I heard the pastor's altar call and thought "if I'm going to become a Christian, why not do it now?" I went forward and prayed with the pastor the sinner's prayer, marking a beginning of my Christian journey.

Throughout my childhood, my faith in Christ remained central to me. I found in God a strong friend, and the period was one of positive growth. So positive, that senior year of high school, I applied to only one Christian university, with every intention of attending a secular institution instead. I believed God could use me better as a light in a dark place, but God had other plans, and I found myself in the fall of '99 a freshman at Wheaton College. In the end, God was right, for in the context of Christian community, He helped me sort out a number of things in my life and gave me some of my deepest friends.

Eventually, God also opened the door for me to attend a secular university for a term: Oxford. Oxford had one of the most profound impacts on my life, as it shifted the way I understand the faith, teaching me to ask questions (without fear) and waking me to much in life I had missed. The community I lived in was the principal agent of change, comprised of eight devout Christian men from seven different traditions (Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, Reformed, Presbyterian, Mennonite, Charismatic). Despite differences, we loved each other very much, and I came to deeply appreciate the need for unity in the Church.

Out of College, I joined Wycliffe Bible Translators, to test out my aptitude for applied linguistics. I spent a year of my time with Wycliffe in Papua New Guinea, doing grammar projects to help aid the Bariai translation of the Bible. While I deeply enjoyed my time in Papua New Guinea, loving the people, the place, and my teammates, I felt God calling me increasingly to missions in the first world, specifically to Europe and those similar to me. Ezekiel 3:4-7 came to me that year as a call to speak the Gospel to my "own" people, because they do not listen.

When I returned to the states, I spent a year on a fellowship in DC to sort out the best next steps. I lived in a Christian community called Trinity Forum Academy, which functioned something like Francis Schaeffer's L'abri, dividing my time between physical work, academic study, and spiritual reflection. From that experience, I determined that missions through teaching would be the best long term fit for the gifts God has given me, and I'm currently in the process of training toward that end.
Clearly, my faith has been so long a part of my life that it would prove difficult to separate out areas of life not informed by faith. In fact, it is perhaps best to say my faith is my life; I seek nothing more than to serve our Triune God and love others to His glory. Moreover, I desire to live for God in all things, not merely in a faith of once weekly church attendance, or the daily book-ended faith of personal devotions, but always. I am excited indeed that this is the very thing God is teaching me to do.

Statement of Belief

I believe with Moses that in the beginning God created everything for His purposes. I believe with Paul that through one man death and sin divorced all people from the Living God. I believe with John that the Son of God was sent into the world that all people may be reconciled to Him. I believe with Peter and the creeds that the Son of the Living God is Jesus the Christ. I believe with the author of Hebrews that Jesus Christ suffered, died, and was raised to defeat sin and redeem all who believe. I believe with Isaiah that Jesus came to bring healing and restoration to the broken. I believe with Jesus that all men are broken and none can come to the Father except through faith in Him. I believe with Luke that the Holy Spirit has been sent to lead and guide believers in that faith. I believe with Paul that the Church is the body of Christ and with James that it is a source of healing and restoration, the initial stage of the Kingdom of God. I believe with Revelation that Christ will one day come again to judge all men. I believe with creation that when the sons of God are revealed, the entire universe will be liberated from decay and made whole.

I have placed my faith in Christ and seek to follow Him and look forward to the day of His return and the restoration all things.