Hometown: Temple
Present City: Dallas
Tell us about your family.
I met my wonderful wife, Gail, at Wilshire, and our son Andy met his lovely wife, Jessica, through Wilshire connections (thanks Mary Lu!). The four of us gratefully serve as deacons here. Andy and Jessica are parents to my brilliant, handsome, talented, amazing and kind grandson, Callum, who is two years old.
How about your work or volunteer life?
These days I work in commercial real estate. I was inspired years ago, with help from George Mason, to view my work as vocation — which makes a difference as to how I approach it. I stay invested in social justice and ministry initiatives, which is how God seems to use me best.
Any favorite hobbies?
I’m an avid golfer and enjoy reading.
What are your favorite places to travel?
Great cities in Europe, high deserts anywhere and great golf courses in North America and the U.K.
What brought you to Wilshire and when?
I found Wilshire shortly after graduating from Baylor and moving to Dallas and stayed the next 40+ years for the people and theology.
Where are you engaged at Wilshire?
I’ve served in many roles through the years. Currently I’m a member of the Epiphany class.
What has surprised you most about Wilshire?
How my life and sense of self became inextricably tied to this community.
What do you think God is up to in your life right now?
For the first time in a long while, I sense a change in the wind, but I don’t yet know where it is leading me. Stay tuned.
Tell us about your faith journey.
My faith journey is alongside saints here who teach me the same big lessons year after year. Thanks to Wilshire, I aspire to stand with the vulnerable, the marginalized and the disenfranchised. I try to hold everything loosely. I seek to cultivate awe and gratitude and to live comfortably with mystery. I willfully resist anxiety. I know from observing myriad firsthand examples that neither love nor peace are passive.
What is something interesting most people would not know about you?
I’ve tried skydiving and scuba diving with minimal instruction (less than 30 minutes in each case).
What adjectives best describe you?
I have high ideation, I’m organized and I think strategically. I am an open book emotionally. I enjoy humor. I spend a lot of mental time in the future, which is a strength and a weakness.