Ministry Focus
In 2011 Richard and Hope followed God’s calling in their life to leave the ministry at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and begin re-planting the nearly extinct ministry at Chemeketa Community College in Salem. Richard worked to build a ministry from the ground up, developing students as the hands and feet of Jesus.
During those years Richard has worked to develop a campus ministry that builds leaders for the future of God’s Kingdom, equipping them to use their gifting for the glory of God. He leads weekly leadership meetings at his house and feeds college students, giving them a home away from home. These meetings develop student leaders who lead Bible studies on campus and minister to other students.
Every week students gather for OneVoice, the on-campus worship time at Chemeketa. During the last several years seven new staff members have come out of the Chemeketa ministry.
Richard is currently training new staff directors for several new ministries in the Northwest while continuing to direct the ministry at Chemeketa.
Faith Story
Richard grew up in a semi-Christian home in California before his mother, sister and he moved to Salem, Oregon. Growing up he began questioning the legitimacy of religion and eventually decided that religion was only for those who needed it. This led him down an intellectual road where he rejected Christianity, or what he thought was Christianity. He began partying and drinking, but he eventually asked himself, “What is the point of my life?”
That was when he met the area director of Campus Ambassadors, who invited him to study the Bible with him and challenged some of Richardís assumptions. Over the next couple of months Richard began an intellectual journey, trying to answer some of lifeís toughest questions, and finally realized that only Jesus Christ could answer all of them sufficiently.
This led Richard to give his life to the God of the Universe. A year later he ran into one of his old drinking buddies. This guy was shocked and couldnít believe Richard was the same person. He exclaimed, ìWhat happened to you, man?î And Richard started to tell him about Jesus.
Hope came to know Christ as her personal Savior when she was 16, after realizing that Jesus was not just a story, but a real person. They are both excited to faithfully serve their Lord, Jesus Christ, while ministering to the Willamette community, now and in the years to come.
Family
Richard and Hope were married in December of 2005. In 2008 they welcomed their first son, James, followed in 2010 by Athena, their daughter, and their second son Maximus arrived in 2013.
Education
B.A. in Rhetoric and Media Studies
