Gary has been a pastor for the last 21 years, serving two churches:  Grace Baptist Church in White Salmon, Washington, and Fellowship Bible Church in Tukwila, a suburb of Seattle.  Before that he served his home church, Rome Community Chapel, as a youth pastor and volunteer choir director.

Ministry has always been the focus of his life.  Growing up in Whatcom County, Gary dreamed of preaching and leading choirs in worship.  In junior high he led the Youth for Christ Club, and in high school was active in YFC and Bellingham High’s “fifth quarter” parties, a gathering of Christian youth after the games.  He went on to Multnomah School of the Bible where he eventually received the Bachelor of Theology degree with a pastoral major.  A two-year stint in the Army in Germany broke up his studies, but even there Gary managed to be involved in ministry as a Chaplain’s Assistant.

After his Army experience Gary enrolled at the University of Washington, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in history, with a philosophy minor.  He then moved to Portland and attended Western Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree with a major in pastoral ministries.  He is also a graduate of Strategic Leadership Institute with a Certificate in Leadership.  Currently he is studying at the Northwest Graduate School, pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership Transformation.

His pastoral ministry has been an interesting journey.  In 1993 he was granted a sabbatical to go to Bulgaria and Russia for a year of ministry with the Navigators.  There he led a team of young families whose mission was to evangelize teachers and students within the public school systems of those countries.  Four years ago he was invited to speak at a conference for New Tribes missionary families in Papua, New Guinea.  On that occasion he became part of a team that accomplished a tribal survey of a new people group, which now has a New Tribes Mission family living with them.  More recently he was invited to speak at another New Tribes conference, this time in Senegal, West Africa.  Those experiences have served to cultivate a new vision of ministry in his heart, one of ministering to ministers.  He has since resigned the pulpit and joined Strategic Leadership Institute with the initial commission of establishing a training track for pastors.  He also serves on the Board of Directors for Shepherds Bible College, a new college created in the Seattle area to educate and mentor the next generation of church leaders, and is a member of the National Committee of the Mission America Coalition.

Gary and his wife Twila have been married for over thirty years and have two grown daughters.  They make their residence in SeaTac, Washington.

garyc@strategicleadership.org