About Me

Well, let’s start with the formal stuff…

Currently (October 2020 to the present) I am in a time of renewal and discernment as to what are the transformations to which I am being called today for the future and where I am being called to serve in the world.  For this fertile time of waiting and discerning I have returned to my home in Cleveland, Ohio and rejoined my husband of 30+ years with whom I have been living apart for the past 5 years.

In the Spring of 2015 I was called as the Regional Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Capital Area and began there June 15, 2015.  This Region (1 of 32 in the U.S. and Canada) of the Christian Church encompasses all of Maryland, Washington, DC, Delaware, and includes a few churches in northern Virginia and the panhandle of West Virginia.  I concluded that ministry in October of 2020 after discerning it was time for me to move on for the well-being of the Region as well as for my own health.

Previously I was the Senior Pastor of Franklin Circle Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Cleveland, Ohio for 14 years.  I was called as a Redevelopment Pastor to this historic, diverse, urban congregation in the spring of 2001 in hopes of helping the congregation to reclaim a clear sense of its identity and to renew its mission to the community.  In April of 2004 the Region of Ohio and the congregation affirmed the workthat I and the congregation had done to revitalize the church and they called me to continue to be their Pastor.

I had  moved to Cleveland from New York city with my partner of (then) 10 years, the Rev. Craig Hoffman, in 2000 after a 10 year pastorate at Park Avenue Christian Church in Manhattan.  I was privileged to serve as Associate to the Rev. John Wade Payne for nine of those ten years.  While serving as Associate Pastor at Park Avenue Christian I was ordained into ministry on Pentecost Sunday, 1991.

[For a brief reference to me in a New York Times article, click HERE! Wow, 15 minutes of fame gone already!!! For a Prayer For The Family I wrote, click HERE! One of the best things I’ve ever written to get a little air time.]

In my ministry at Park Avenue Christian Church I spent time studying and developing skills in working with multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, economically-diverse congregations.  I also served for almost ten years as the Developer for the  Open & Affirming Ministries Program of the Gay, Lesbian, and Affirming Disciples Alliance. I continue to use all of these skills at Franklin Circle Christian Church.

[I am honored to have several liturgies included in the book, Shaping Sanctuary: Proclaiming God’s Grace in an Inclusive Church.  For ordering information, click on the image to the right.]

I was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico.   I received my B.S. in Religious Education at Phillips University, Enid, Oklahoma and my M.Div., with a concentration in Religious Education, from Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, in Ft. Worth, Texas.  While at Brite I served for over three years as Assistant to the Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Grapevine, Texas under the mentorship of Rev. Eleanor Cozad Cherryholmes.  I have authored articles in several journals, including DisciplesWorld, Homily, and Open Hands.   My partner and I have remodeled a historic 1880’s “folk Victorian” home using environmentally-friendly and sustainable techniques and building materials.

I have previously served on the Community Advisory Board of Lutheran Hospital.  Within the Christian Church of Ohio (Disciples of Christ) I am honored to serve on the Commission On The Ministry and as Co-Director of Advance Conference, with the Rev. Margot Connor.   In the summer of 2010 I also became President of the Adult Conference.  I have previously served on several non-profit and denominational boards, including Interfaith Partners In Action of Cleveland (InterAct Cleveland) where I served as Board President; the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) where I served on both the Administrative Committee and on the Executive Committee.   I am  a proud graduate of the Neighborhood Leadership Institute (Class 17).

Now for the fun stuff!…

 

I am a fun-loving, slightly geeky, tall, almost bald gay white man who loves all things urban and is happiest wandering in the midst of a big city with my iPhone camera ready to catch beautiful images of God at work in the city (separate page coming for this!)

 

I also am unabashedly liberal and committed to a progressive understanding of how we need to live in community so that everything we do is for the common good.  I feel it is as important to show up for a march to end gun violence or support Dreamers who should be allowed to live in this country as it is to study the Bible and to pray.