I was born in central Connecticut and spent my early childhood there. While a toddler, I confused my parents by standing behind a Fisher Price table and would (mostly unintelligibly) preside over the liturgies I would hear at our Lutheran church. This was the first hint of where my life might take me.
In Middle School, my parents’ work took our family to Sandy, Utah. I attended the Waterford School, a private liberal arts, college preparatory school. It was during this time, primarily at church, where I came to appreciate the intricacies of live sound. I also worked in various leadership roles at church as a high school student, in preparation for my time in college.
Deciding I didn’t want to attend college in a state touching Utah, and intending to work in the audio industry in one way or another, I attended the University of Tulsa, earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. During this time, I fell somewhat backwards into church leadership roles again. I started singing in the church choir and became involved in youth ministry at the Lutheran church I attended.
During my senior year of college, though, something changed. While I enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of engineering, something was unsatisfying about it. One Sunday, two people separately challenged me about if I had considered becoming a pastor. After mulling it over for a while (and taking a year off to exploring other options, none of which worked out) I took the hints in my path. I started the application to enroll in seminary.
Salt Lake Theological Seminary (then an interdenominational seminary which now exists as The Vine Institute, a lay training institute primarily serving Utah’s multi-ethnic congregations) was a wonderful experience for me. I greatly enjoyed learning more about Scripture, theology, and the theory of doing ministry. Then I went on my internship year at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Fort Dodge, Iowa and I learned all the things I didn’t know! My internship supervisor was so patient and encouraging. I learned so much during this time about the practical side of being a pastor.
During my time at SLTS, I continued to be involved in ministry and leadership at my home church. Through doing some odd jobs while in school, I picked up a few other skills, as well. From working in the seminary’s library, even acting as the library supervisor, I learned a small bit of library science. As my church’s temporary custodian, I learned all that goes into properly maintaining a church facility. I was also able to use my engineering degree with the seminary’s IT department and as a Programmer/Analyst for a local school district.
After graduating with a Masters of Divinity, it was time to wait for my first call. A small Lutheran Congregation in Brigham City, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, took a chance on a brand-new pastor. I ended up serving in Brigham City for twelve and a half years. I served in leadership roles on several community and interfaith organizations, mostly notably:
Though I greatly enjoyed my time in Brigham City, after over a decade there, the time came to move on. I took my second call at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. Moving to Western PA opened up an opportunity to pursue a Doctor of Ministry degree with a Missional Leadership focus at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, the alma mater of Fred Rogers. I left that call after two and a half years; it became clear that my understanding of God and my convictions about living a Christian life were more in alignment with the United Church of Christ. I found in the UCC the same kind of active, welcoming faith I had, especially important for a our Post-Christian era! Now I’m about to start a new call in northern Vermont, and I'm excited to see what God has in store.
I met my wife Michelle at a Vacation Bible School when I first moved to Brigham City. Several years later, at another Vacation Bible School, I finally realized she was kind of fun to be around. We married soon after. Our family is a Black Lab / Pug mix named Izzy, a white cat named Archie, and two other cats (Garfield and Fluff) who are with us in spirit!
Outside of pastoral ministry, I have kept up with best practices in the live sound world, providing consulting services to churches through Maskil Audio, my sound reinforcement related side-gig. I am a multi-instrumentalist: playing (in order of accomplishment) drums, bass, guitar, piano, and organ. In my free time, I enjoy video games, especially flight simulators, city builders, role-playing games, and even the occasional sports game! Though the time I have to devote to sports has waned over the years, I am a supporter of the Minnesota Vikings, Stoke City FC, Real Salt Lake, and, now, the 2025 USL2 National Champion Vermont Green Football Club!