My father was a minister for over 60 years and I grew up in many congregations as a child in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. I was baptized on July 10, 1958, at Bible camp in Diagonal, Iowa after the night service. After graduating from high school, I attended Midwestern School of Evangelism in Ottumwa, Iowa and graduated with a Bachelor of Sacred Literature degree in May 1971. On December 25, 1971, I married my wife Barbara.  We have 4 children, 9 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. I then worked for Missouri Pacific and Union Pacific railroad from 1972 until 2009 in various locations and attended many more congregations through those years. In 2003 I was transferred to Bismarck, Missouri and found the Park Hills Church of Christ family and was very welcomed. I became an elder in about 2011.