Brett grew up in Jackson, MS under the wise and loving care of his parents.  The oldest of three boys, he enjoyed being outside playing sports and when he couldn't be outside, he would be inside playing with his baseball cards.  Under the spiritual direction of his parents and church, he put his trust in Jesus for salvation at the age of 7 and was baptized soon after as an 8 year old.  I read once that kid's ministry often drifts to training kids "for" morality, while youth ministry often trains "against" immorality.  Neither of which transforms. That was true in my life especially as a high schooler as I grew away from the gospel and towards self-righteousness, which was a convenient and protective cover for the sins of my heart,which were rampant.

After graduating from Mississippi College with an accounting degree in 1990 and working in a firm in Jackson, he sensed God calling him to vocational ministry, which led him to St. Louis, where he served on a college ministry staff and church renewal staff.  It was in 1993 that Brett's grace awakening begin to happen.  The pastor of the church he served in preached a sermon on Romans 3 and it was then that God begin to undo the self-righteousness and self-deception leaving behind the awful but honest truth that there is no one who is righteous, not even Brett.  That began a journey that continues today of Brett coming alive to the gospel of God's grace in Jesus more and more.

In 1999, he sensed God calling him to the pastorate and after graduating from Covenant Seminary with his Masters of Divinity degree in 2002, he became a pastor at Central Presbyterian Church there in St. Louis.  After living in St. Louis for a total of 18 years, Brett sensed God calling him to leave his home and move to Springfield to plant Grace Hill Church, which he did in July, 2009. 

Brett was fortunate enough to marry his amazing wife 12 years ago in St. Louis.  On why they decided to get married in December 1999 and not January 2000, they will quickly tell you, "we didn't want Y2K to screw up our wedding/travel plans...better safe than sorry."  They are the blessed parents of two children: Jackson, who is a little tender warrior at the age of 4 and Anna Sloan, who is a precocious little spitfire at the age of 2.

 

MY LIFE VERSE:

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7)