Doug started as our new Lead Pastor at EBF on Sept. 17, 2018.
Debbie and I grew up in southern California - Debbie in the pool and I “lived” on the beach. Our active outdoor childhoods, led to really active “sports loving” lives. We both played team sports, coached, and our fun-loving families played games. We were known for hearty laughter. We were both blessed in that our family’s relationship to God through Jesus Christ was a priority that we saw lived out. As a result, we both came to faith in Christ as kids and grew up attending the same church, where we “met” in high school.
Our first date was “grad night” at Disneyland, and the rest as they say is history. Thirty-six years of adventure in marriage, three daughters-Ashley, Lindsay & Kelsey, serving in vocational ministry and a truckload of international travel and missions bring us to today. We have lived in the great “cow states” of California (“Happy cows”) and Wisconsin (more cows than people), in urban, suburban and rural settings.
Our realization of life not being about ourselves came very early, and before we married, we knew that God had called us into a life of serving others. We worked multiple jobs early on to pay for my attending BIOLA University and Talbot Seminary. The degrees earned are not my own, but gifts from God that came through the sacrificial hard work of both of us. In fact, every paper I wrote, Debbie typed on her lunch breaks, or before or after work.
Being a mom, it was a natural “fit” for Debbie to work in the school district as a para-educator, which she has always seen as more of a ministry than a job. She has coached softball at the high school level and worked most of the athletic and extracurricular events throughout the year. Because serving others has been central to our lives, the variety of things the Lord has allowed us to be involved in has been full of that paradoxical combination of joy and sorrow that permeates ministry. In the
church, Debbie loves the nursery! She has also been part of AWANA, Youth Ministry, Women’s Ministries, baking cookies and meals for others.
Outside of the church we enjoy building relational bridges with people who don’t yet know Christ, that are strong enough to carry the weight of the gospel. I thrive on telling people about Jesus, communicating the Word, and prayer. So, I ride (bicycling) with others, I keep bees with others, I coach, whatever, wherever, all to find ways to associate with those who are searching for meaning in life and praying that somehow God will open the door for a conversation that can change their eternity by introducing them to Jesus.
We are just kind of down to earth people. Given the choice, among a host of other things, Debbie can be found walking, cycling, reading, gardening, participating in exercise classes, working puzzles, watching football and serving in the community. I love to ride my bike. But on my days off I bake, hunt, fish, do woodwork, cook, and keep bees. Above all else our greatest joy comes from seeing God at work and being used by Him for His glory.
