A. Although I was not a believer until I was almost eighteen, I grew up in the Evangelical Church and I watched … I watched Christians and how they acted and how they related to one another and to their God. I watched ministry trends come and go and folks nomadically move from church to church and author to author, desperately in search for the newest thing that would "revolutionize their lives." When I finally did get saved and headed off for ministry training, I firmly believed that living in the truth had to be more stable and enduring that what I was seeing. I needed to find a way to help Christians (as well as ensuring this for myself) get off this perpetual "merry-go-round" of doctrinal and spiritual instability.

A. I believe the apostle Paul answers that question succinctly in Ephesians 4:14, 15: "As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." Our problem is immaturity and, if you check the rest of the context (particularly verses 11-13), you find that this immaturity which leads to instability is caused by a lack of teaching and equipping which God provided for by gifted teachers.

A. I have been given the gifts and passion of a teacher – someone who takes the highest pleasure in seeing the proverbial "light go on" in the mind and heart of a Christian when the Word is opened up to them in depth and in power. I yearn for the Emmaus road experience for everyone I come into contact with ministerially – I desire their hearts to burn within them as the Scriptures are opened to them (Luke 24:32). Some folks think I simply enjoy the more intellectual pursuits of the Christian faith – this is not really my heart. Of course, as a teacher, I have to be given academic propensities, but I do not believe that understanding the Word of God is a merely academic exercise. I believe that knowing the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (John 17:3) is the very essence of eternal life, and begins in the mind but ends in the heart and comes out the hands. If we remain content to be shallow in our understanding of God, then we will remain consigned to a fickle, unstable walk, no matter how many "things" we think we are doing for the Kingdom and no matter how much excitement we think we are generating for God.

Q. How has your background prepared you for this ministry?

A. I had no personal desire to enter a life of ministry prior to my conversion. In fact, I was headed to the University of Pennsylvania to study to be a veterinarian. My life was all figured out – all I had to do was to grab it. When God interrupted my plans and hijacked my mind and my heart for Himself, I had to scramble to find out what His next step for me was. Having come from a Charismatic background, I was rather surprised when my Pastor strongly urged me to attend an Evangelical Bible College which earnestly disagreed with many of the distinctives of the church I was saved in. This exposed me to both the breadth of the Christian Church as well as to the need to really know what I believed and why. God combined my Charismatic past with my Evangelical surroundings to marry mind and heart together and see the study of God’s Word as an act of worship rather than a mere intellectual pursuit. Enjoying the wonder of the deep things of God infused me with a passion to share this with the rest of God’s people.

Q. Why did you not go into teaching in a more traditional setting; say, a Bible College or Seminary?

A. The prospect has always tempted me, but I truly believe that the layperson is where the action is. I have no desire to reinvent the wheel – there are many great Bible Colleges and Seminaries out there that have been preparing our Church leaders for decades and some for centuries. The Pastor and the Missionary have good places to go to be equipped – but what about the elder or deacon, the Sunday school teacher or church administrator? There really is no place for these folks to be trained to do the important tasks they do for the Kingdom of God. This is one of the goals I have for the Omega Institute – through general Bible training as well as role-specific training, I want to see our laypeople, who are the backbone of our churches, enjoy the same level of preparation so that the church can benefit from the same level of competence.

Q. What kind of Biblical and theological training do you have?

A. I hold a degree from three different recognized and respected theological schools — my undergraduate work was done principally in Bible and theology with an emphasis on the Old Testament and Hebrew. My Master’s degrees are in Historical Theology and Ministry (with an emphasis in Christian Education) and my doctorate is in Theology.

A. In order to accurately answer that question, I would have to add the time I have spent as a Pastor and church planter. I have both planted and pastored my current church for nearly two decades – having experienced just about all that the pastorate has to offer: the joys and the sorrows, the ups and the downs as well as the many dimensions of its work and relationships. I believe that I cannot rightly speak to the church and her leaders unless I have been one myself and have worked intimately with them for a long period of time. I do not want to teach because I cannot do – having successfully planted a church in one of the most challenging areas of the country (Long Island, New York) and having seen that church plant three others, I can say that my practical ministry experience combined with extensive study in the Word of God qualifies me to do the kind of work Omega does – speaking to the church in ways that deepen her understanding of her Lord and His Word.

A. Yes — there are simply things you can’t teach: God has consistently confirmed to me through His Church giftedness in the area of teaching that brings difficult truths to laypeople without compromising depth or accuracy. While a lot of folks hold degrees, God has gifted me with a retention and comprehension that is in keeping with the kind of challenging work Omega demands – precision and depth along with clarity and vitality.

A. God willing, my dream for Omega is to see her grow into an international ministry serving the local church first through a wide spectrum of materials for the layperson and the lay leader. I would love to see Omega produce materials for use in training Pastors and Christian leaders as well as produce live events that enrich and deepen the faith and usefulness of the man and woman in the pew to please the Lord Jesus Christ in all they do.

A. It is our goal to set aside ten percent of all we receive for the work of evangelism and missions. As our ministry grows, it is our pleasure to provide our energies and resources to the work of bringing the gospel to men and women everywhere; both as an individual ministry and in partnership with others.