Born in South Bend, Indiana, on December 29, 1948, I was raised in Mishawaka (right next to South Bend much like Mt. Carmel is to Kingsport) by very devoted and dedicated Christian parents. My parents, along with my sister (the oldest sibling) and two brothers and myself, ministered in local churches sharing the ministry of Family Altars (having devotions together as a family on a daily basis).

Through this ministry I met Bill and Leta Neece at First Church of God in Mishawaka and discovered the girl I was dating in high school also attending this church. I married this girl in 1970 with Bro. Neece officiating the ceremony. I attended a local college in town called Bethel College (now Bethel University) and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education in 1971.

I began serving congregations of the Church of God reformation movement as Minister of Music and Youth in 1970 at Nappanee (IN) First Church of God; in 1972 at Abney St. Church of God in St. Albans, West Virginia; in1975 at Decatur Church of God in Decatur, Indiana; and in 1978 until present at Kingsport Community Church of God (KCC) in Kingsport, Tennessee, (Bill Neece was senior pastor in 1978). During this time, I moved into an associate pastor position with main responsibilities in Music and Worship ministry. I have served with four different senior pastors at KCC.

Having lived in the same community for 47 years, I have enjoyed involvement in several community events and ministries but thoroughly appreciated the opportunity of ministering in local hospitals as volunteer chaplain (40 years) and music volunteer; serve and fellowship with other ministers through the local ministerial associations; experience and serve in the SONrise Emmaus Community; and plan, coordinate, and participate in a biennial (every other year) regional patriotic musical extravaganza (“Liberty Celebration”) consisting of hundreds of volunteers that put on three shows in two days. I was humbled to receive the Servant’s Heart Award from Mountain

States Health Alliance (MSHA, now Ballad Health) in 2016. This is the highest honor given to a volunteer in MSHA (Ballad Health). I praise the Lord for the privilege and honor of serving Him as worship leader at several conferences, conventions, camp meetings, revivals, choral clinics at the local, state, regional, and national levels.

My wife, Jenny, and I have been married for 55 years and have 3 adult children: Brian & his wife Erin live in Greeneville (TN) with two children (Connor - 19 and Gabrielle -18); Tania & her husband Nathan Hand live in Dawsonville (GA) with two children (Cael - 19 and Hayden -17); and Deanna Stayton-Tubbs who lives in Madison (MS) and has a 10 – year old daughter (Harley Lauren) named after my father who died in 2002, and a step-daughter, Sloane – 14, who lives in Atlanta (GA).