I was born in Bogotá, Colombia and migrated to the United States when I was 10 years old. My mother was a devout Catholic that made sure her family attended mass every Sunday. She instilled in me from an early age, a love for God and the Church. I grew up wanting to be a good Catholic like her. She taught me to read the Bible and pray.
But as I prayed and read the Bible, I began to wonder why I was not properly taught the Bible at Church. I had a lot of questions about the Word of God, but no one in the Catholic Church helped me to understand His Word. I read the Bible consistently and found that what the priests said and did was not always in agreement with the Word of God. I made several inquiries as to these contradictions, but they were not explained, instead I was discouraged from asking any more questions and told that the Bible was a difficult book to understand. Frustrated and discouraged, I stopped attending the Catholic Church.
While attending High School, a classmate invited me to go to a Wednesday Night Bible study at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA. I was immediately impressed with the teaching and decided to continue going. I was encouraged by the leadership in the Youth Ministries to get plugged in with a discipleship group and began studying the Word of God. I was hungry for God’s Word and He placed in my life, godly men that answered all my questions, from His Word.
On January 29, 1987 at a youth retreat in Catalina Island, my discipleship group leader shared the gospel with me and challenged me to repent and believe. Praise God, I understood my sin, what Christ has done, what God demands of me, counted the cost, and trusted Him. I rejoice in the reality of God’s inner working my life, producing the fruit of holiness in me. This inner transformation increasingly expressed itself in me through what I said and did, and approved or rejected.
I resolved as a Christian, whose mind is being renewed, to replace worldly knowledge, philosophies and opinions with Biblical knowledge and wisdom through reasoning that operates in love and obedience to divinely revealed truths. I believe that every event in life is an integral lesson of God’s overall curriculum for my spiritual formation and growth.
While attending UCLA, the Lord guided me to Alpha Gamma Omega (AGO), a Christian fraternity. I lived in AGO for four years with forty Christian brothers. The fellowship and accountability was transforming. The Lord was working in my heart, as I matured in faith and life.
I got more involved at church as the College and Young Adult pastor and recognized that I love to teach and preach. I realized that although I was preparing to go to Law School, I really enjoyed ministry and my friends encouraged me to consider utilizing my gifts of administration and teaching in Christian Higher Education.
I attended The Master’s Seminary where professors like Dr. Dave Deuel and Dr. Trevor Craigen were instrumental in my biblical instruction and formation. I attended Biola University where professors like Dr. Klaus Issler, Dr. Judith Lingenfelter and Dr. Tom Steffen spiritually and professionally formed and inspired in me a passion for Christian Higher Education.
I married Dorian after seminary. She is my helpmate and gently calls me every day to be a godly man. Marriage has been for me an opportunity to recognize areas in my life where I need to grow. I praise God each day for His wonderful gift, Dorian. We have experienced God’s love and comfort through difficult trials. Dorian had surgery to deal with what doctors suspected was ovarian cancer; by God’s grace the end result was that she did not have cancer. Those were dark and lonely days that God carried us through. We have since grown in our love for God and each other. The Lord has blessed us with two adopted daughters that are a source of praise and sanctification.
A major part of my spiritual journey has obviously taken place in the Church. I’ve had the pleasure of serving God and His people in various ministries throughout the years. Key factors in my spiritual growth are the countless number of believers that I’ve ministered to and that have ministered to me. Sharing with God’s people in their birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, marital problems, problems with children, problems at work, and much more have allowed me to grow as a man and a pastor.
The Church has been a place for intimate friendships and fellowship with fellow pastors, elders and lay people. They encourage and challenge me to grow in my love for God, His Word, and His people. It is a joy to journey with people that love and accept me for who I am, but constantly admonish me to be more than who I am today. I have been blessed by the loving and sanctifying pursuit of dedicated Christians that labor to prepare me to be a good neighbor, a loyal friend, a devoted spouse, a committed church member, a dedicated employee, a loving parent, a responsible citizen, and, of greatest importance, a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. They have nurtured my God-given gifts and skills as a servant, preparing me to serve effectively in a number of life roles.
