I was born in the small town of Paris, Ontario in 1975. I was a very rambunctious and restless child and much of my childhood was spent playing sports, watching movies, roaming the hills and forests, and playing a lot of Dungeons & Dragons. When I was a teenager, I began studying a traditional form of japanese Karate called Wado-Kai, meaning “the way to peace and harmony.” During my childhood I did not attend Church at all.

All this would change when I went to York University in 1995 to study English Literature and Philosophy. I began attending a nearby church in a very rough neighbourhood with some of my classmates and it was there, I began to see on the one hand, that church-going people were absolutely ordinary and normal: filled with all the same dreams and hangups like anyone else; and yet, on the other hand, I saw people who were filled with hope and decency, and who genuinely cared for one another, and sincerely believed that there was an alternative way to live one’s life in this world that was Christ-centered and not ego-driven.

After graduating York University in 1999 with a B.A. hon. in English, I joined the workforce and worked in various warehouses for the next fifteen years. During this time, slowly I began to realize that I felt called to serving God and I began attending church regularly for the first time in my life, and where for the first time in my life, I felt a true sense of belonging, where all my talents and passions were being realized and I was experiencing meaning and joy in my life.

At the age of 39, I went to Huron University College and graduated with my M.Div. with Distinctions in May 2017. During seminary, I became quite enamoured with the works of Henri Nouwen, Barbara Brown Taylor, and Karl Barth. I also became quite interested in Centering Prayer and Contemplative Prayer. After working as a student summer pastor at Sauble Beach, I accepted my appointment as Rector of Christ Church, Markdale in November 2017.

Currently, my areas of interest in ministry involve the fostering of traditional forms of Christian and Anglican prayer, as well as providing Bible Study for adults and being a pastor to my congregation. I enjoy working on my sermons daily through the week and meditating on the word of God and discerning where the Holy Spirit is leading me. Outside of Church, my hobbies include reading and writing poetry, running, working out, and practicing a little Karate. I am also a connoisseur of wine and fine spirits, and I enjoy watching film and being around a barbecue.

The Christian life has made all the difference in the world to me. I am proud to say that I love what I do: it continues to give me incredible joy despite how hard this work is! I love talking about my faith and if you are interested in talking to me about anything -church, or non-church related, I would be happy to have a conversation with you!