Family
Jim has been married to his high school sweetheart, Stephanie since 1994. Together, they have two daughters.
Jim grew up in a Christian home as the son of a career Marine and consequently had the experience of living in many different places. During his formative years he associated with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and attended churches with various worship styles. From an early age, he came to appreciate the variety in the body of Christ. Jim is certainly not without an opinion when it comes to matters of doctrine and tradition, but he also holds a strong conviction that it is a beautiful thing when believers set their non-essential differences aside to find common ground and display unity for the sake of Christ. Though other labels can have their place, Jim prefers to be known simply as a Bible-believing Christian and disciple of Jesus Christ.
Education
After being called to vocational ministry in 1999, Jim went to Bible college at Southwestern Christian University in Bethany, OK. He graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree (Christian Leadership) with cum laude honors. The highlight of this experience was studying leadership under Dr. Bobby Clinton from Fuller Seminary.
After a break from school, Jim continued his formal studies at Carolina Graduate School of Divinity where he completed the Master of Arts (Biblical Studies) program with magna cum laude honors in 2012.
Also in 2012, Jim completed a Graduate Certificate program in Nonprofit Management from Duke University.
Jim completed his formal education at his alma mater, Carolina Graduate School of Divinity, with a Doctor of Ministry degree (Biblical Preaching). Academic honors included the Excellence in Ministry award. His dissertation was an exegetical and literary commentary on Genesis 37–50 (The Joseph Story). The highlight of the Doctor of Ministry experience was the opportunity to study under world-class scholars such as Doug Moo, Bill Mounce, Kent Hughes, and Walter Kaiser.
Experience
Jim has over 25 years of ministry experience as a pastor, chaplain and seminary professor. He currently serves as an elder in his local church and is also the founder and executive director of Quest Ministries.
Hobbies
Books are both Jim’s hobby and the tools of his trade. He enjoys riding his motorcycle and loves spending every moment he can with his family.