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When I was in Junior High School I had a conversation with a Jewish storekeeper who lived in our town. After a while the discussion turned to my plans for the future, and he said, "I think that you should consider becoming a Rabbi". When I protested that I, a Christian, could never be a Rabbi, Mr. Silverman patiently explained that he meant that I should become a kind of "Christian Rabbi", which, he said, primarily meant "teacher". But it was not until the summer after my first year in college that I heard a voice deep in my heart directing me into the ministry.
In the thirty plus years that have since passed, I have had the wonderful privilege of serving the Lord in a number of ways, but as I look back upon my ministry, I can see that Mr. Silverman’s suggestion was an insightful one. Whether serving a small congregation in the Nebraska Sandhills, pastoring within a denominational framework, or working with a campus fellowship at Penn State, my ministry has been that of the Pastor/Teacher. For the last thirteen years I have endeavored to use that gift as Director of Ministries for CPCI, applying the lessons learned in the pastorate to the needs of CPCI’s staff and constituency.
On the more personal side, I have been blessed to have my devoted wife, Ruth, at my side for thirty-three years. We are parents of two children. Rebecca, our daughter, is married to Warren Keeney. They are the parents of three of the most wonderful kids ever, my grandchildren, Jonathan, Michael and Chelsea. Our son, Allan, lives with his wife Beverly in Julianne, not far from the Bald Eagle Creek where on summer evenings he might be found casting a fly for trout. Both Allan and Bev are employed at Penn State University. There Allan oversees the Architecture Shop and Bev is Registrar at the Palmer Museum of Art.