I am a native of rural Missouri and have been married to my beautiful wife, Jo Ann, for 27 years. We have three children. Zach and Sarah were born in Olathe, KS and are now college students at the University of Missouri. Courtney was born in St. Louis and is finishing up her last year of high school and plans to attend college next fall. After spending the early part of our marriage in the Kansas City metro area, we started migrating back toward our extended family, first to Jefferson City, MO in 1995 and then to the St. Louis area in 1997 where we began attending First Evangelical Free Church immediately upon arrival. After over 15 years at First Free, we made the move to the Quest Church plant after attending Quest for a number of years at First Free. In our free time, we enjoy hanging out with friends and family, and spending as much time as possible on Table Rock Lake.
I grew up in a Christian home and was heavily influenced by my parents, who set a strong example of Christian leadership and service. My grandfather Fair Pinnell, a Baptist minister, led me to Christ when I was seven years old. During my freshman year at Central Missouri State University, I received news that my dad had died of a heart attack at the age of forty-eight. For an 18 year-old young man, this was quite a blow that I was only able to endure through my faith as well as the love and support of Jo Ann and my family. Although I was raised in the church, my faith really began to grow as a young, and married, adult while living in Olathe, KS and attending Olathe Bible Church. For the first time, Jo Ann and I were plugged into a body of believers engaged in corporate worship and perhaps more importantly we got involved in a small group that studied God’s word and lived life together. We have experienced the same thing since moving to St. Louis through the ministries of First Free and Quest as well as our involvement in a small group for well over 10 years. At First Free, I served in the Jr. and Sr. high ministries (as did Jo Ann) for a number of years as a leader and enjoyed the opportunity to have an impact on their lives.
At Quest, I’ve been serving with the set up and break down (go SUBD!) crew since the beginning and have enjoyed the camaraderie and fellowship with others on the team. Over the last several months, I have had the pleasure of meeting with a group of godly men as we’ve contemplated eldership and wrestled with who God has called to be elders for Quest. I am humbled to have been included in that group and during the process have continued to feel God calling me to a deeper level of service and relationship as an elder of Quest. I have always loved the way Quest has boiled down our vision to “Seeking God, Loving People, Engaging Life, and Finding Hope”. I lost my job in September 2013 and experienced first hand that vision becoming reality as many within Quest ministered to my family and me in so many ways. As I sought God’s direction during that time, I came across Psalm 143:8, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life”. May we put our trust in Him and always be reminded of His unfailing love. Clearly there is much more to my story than I can fit into a short bio. I look forward to sharing more with you as we live out the vision of Quest – together.