Born and raised in Eastern Lancaster County in PA, I was never your typical resident of this area. I am the son of a Pastor from the BFC and my mother is a native of Brasil with American-born missionary parents. From falling in love with hip-hop in early adolescence (even pursuing a rap career) to a rough patch and period of time where I was on the constant brink of disaster, my life is a testimony to the preserving and penetrating grace of God. These first two-thirds of my life and Latino heritage has shaped much of who the Lord has shaped me as today. Now, age 33, I am married to Melissa with four children (Enoch, Hope, Haddon, and Odelia). Life has taken a lot of unexpected turns. However, the future–even in a post covid-infested world with cultural civil war ever present–is bright as Christ continues to reign on His throne and grants opportunities to His church to be salt and light. 

 

The heart of my family and me moving to Reading, PA in 2018, was to “let our lights shine before men” in a culturally diverse, crime and poverty-ridden, milieu of theological heresy. As we originally sought to go to Scotland to work with an organization called 20schemes in Scotland, God saw fit to have us remain in Reading and I undertook back-to-back Acts 29 initiatives in an international group cohort pilot program for church planters to train men working in “hard places.” Next, I participated in a year-long church planting cohort with men from across the Central PA region (also with A29). I had prepared to church plant with a different denomination from the BFC, BUT GOD! Under Pastor Randy Grossman at Grace BFC in Reading, I was befriended and mentored by him and he won me to the BFC to pursue ordination and to attend seminary. I am just about to wrap up my Master’s in Theological Studies (in biblical counseling/history-theology), and have about half my supervised counseling hours logged for my ACBC certification. I am prayerfully considering how the Lord might use my interest and gifts in research/teaching to serve the global church. I especially love reading/writing about topics of theological interest in biblical counseling, early church history, and missiology. 

 

Now at CCBFC, we want to draw out the good work happening here already and extend the influence of the Gospel to all our neighbors–as the Lord permits. My family and I look forward to serving with you in the Lehigh Valley and beyond! I look forward, especially, to growing with this church body and making Allentown my home.