Testimony & Faith Story
I was born in Cape Town, South Africa, where I was raised by amazing parents who loved Jesus. I grew up in the Church and cannot remember a time when I did not know the Lord.
In my teens, I went through a cliche rebellious season that came to a head when I was sixteen. I had snuck out to a concert with a friend of mine to meet up with two girls we knew. Our plan was flawless - I told my mom I was going to stay at his house, while he told his mom he was going to stay at mine. Everything worked out perfectly until we walked back to my then-girlfriend’s house the next morning, where her mom greeted me and said, “Give your mom a call, Jeff. She’s called three times this morning looking for you.” I had not banked on the Holy Spirit prompting my mom to call my friend’s mom and thank her for having me over. She did, instantly exposing our chicanery. She then drove to the outdoor concert venue to look for me with security (she didn’t find me). To this day, I have no idea how she tracked down my girlfriend’s phone number. All I know is that sons don’t stand a chance if they’ve got a praying mom.
She picked me up, and we drove home for an hour in silence. When we pulled into the driveway, I asked her what my punishment would be. She just sighed and said, “At some point, Jeff, you’ve just got to decide who you want to be.” And left it at that. I would’ve preferred a harsh punishment.
The next evening, I was sitting in my room in a reflective mood. I hated hypocrisy, and I realized that I had become one. I could not claim to be a Christian and have it mean nothing concerning the way I live my life. I resolved to either abandon my faith and cease using the term “Christian” or turn my life fully over to Christ in every sense of the phrase, as best I knew how. And in that moment, as I sat there weighing the two options, all I can tell you is that the Holy Spirit met me and would only let me make one choice - Christ. Ever since then, as best I know how, He has had all of me.
Within a year, my family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, I met my now-wife that same year, began playing the guitar, found a youth pastor who became my ministry mentor, and started serving on worship teams. And as my love for the Church grew, so did my sense of calling to vocational ministry, which would begin just a few years later.
When I was 20 years old, I married my high school sweetheart, and we immediately moved to Central Texas with two hockey bags of clothes each and about $500, and I joined the staff of a local non-denominational church. We would earn next to nothing for the next three years, but the Lord would grow our faith and understanding of ministry. I answered to leadership that had intense expectations and protocols. It was in this season that I learned what it means to work for the Lord rather than the approval of men, and how to honor my leaders, regardless of the amount of reassurance or encouragement I received or did not receive. This period of early ministry produced in me a diligent work ethic and grew my devotion and desire to live before the eyes of God, learning to find my validation in Him alone.
In 2005, I followed God’s call, which led me to a worship pastor position at a Calvary Chapel church in South Florida. Having no money, we trusted God, packed up our 4-month-old firstborn, and moved to a brand new state. It was here that we encountered and endured one of our most defining faith challenges—Charlene’s journey through thyroid cancer. I’ll never forget the phone call I received when she shared her diagnosis. It hit like a ton of bricks. I’m so grateful we were part of a church that taught and modeled how to live with biblical faith amidst hardship and suffering. It was in this health crisis that the Lord fortified our trust in His character and reliance on His daily mercy and supernatural comfort. Charlene has been cancer-free for over a decade, and we bless the Lord for His grace and kindness to us.
Also while in South Florida, our pastor challenged our faith by calling us to have the children the Lord wanted for us, rather than just the children we felt we could afford. He rightly pointed out that the provision comes after the step of faith. Without the Lord leading me into that conversation, we would have had half the number of children we do. We now have 6 amazing children, each gifts from God, and the Lord has never failed to provide.
When we left South Florida to plant a church in Vancouver, Canada, we did so by faith. We had no launch team and only 40% of the funding we needed for our first year. But we were sure of God’s calling. Over the next decade, we would trust God through many discouragements and challenges, and faithfully stay obedient to His calling. For us, obedience to God is the true measure of success in life. We have seen the Lord work wonders to provide a full-time salary and give us the incalculable blessing of life-giving, genuine relationships within this body of Christ.
We believe that faith is not a switch you flick or a pill you take when the crisis hits; faith is a muscle that grows through obedience. When you live that way, an overwhelming crisis becomes simply the next opportunity to trust God. We are battle-tested in the area of faith as a couple and a family, and our testimony is that the Lord is good and always faithful.