Brian was called as our pastor in August 2008. A native of Baltimore, MD, he has served at churches in Maryland and Florida before coming to Kentucky. Brian and his wife, Tara, have family in Owensboro, KY and Johnson City, TN.

Brian holds a B.S. in Mass Communication from Towson University, an M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is presently working toward a D.Min. through the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Brian is a freelance writer for Lifeway Publications and has written articles and features for ParentLife, Living with Teenagers, and Bible Express.

How did you meet your wife? Tara was a Centrifuge staffer at Carson Newman's Fuge in the summer of 2000. I was a youth pastor at the time and took my students to camp there. I did what I told my students never to do - meet someone at camp! We long-distance dated (I was in Tampa, FL and she was in Owensboro) via the phone, email, and occasional trips. We were engaged in January 2001 and married on May 19, 2001.

Tell us about your children. Tara and I have been blessed with two amazing children. Joshua was born on April 6, 2005. He is all boy! He loves cars, trucks, trains - anything with an engine and wheels! Although Joshua is all boy, he has an incredible tender heart.

Hannah was born on December 10, 2007. It is amazing how different she and Joshua are. Hannah is so inquisitive and determined! She is into everything! She also wears her emotions on her sleeve. She was born with a condition called Fibular Hemimelia - she does not have proper bone development in her legs - and does not have a lower right leg. While this has been a challenge for our family, and will continue to be one, we have seen God work amazingly in and through this situation already.

What do you enjoy most about ministry? I love teaching. I really enjoy being in an environment where a group of people who are hungry to know God more deeply get together and open up the Bible together. There is something very exciting about rolling up our sleeves and digging into God's Word and mining it for its amazing riches.

Tell us about a meaningful book (besides the Bible) that you have read. I have read so many wonderful books that it is hard to choose just one. However, I think one of the most influential books on my life has been Desiring God by John Piper. Piper's purpose of this book is to break a follower of Jesus free from serving God out of obligation and instead doing so out of joy. He talks about Christian hedonism - that it is ok to seek after joy (and we are supposed to) as long as we understand that true joy is only found in God. So it is right and proper for a Christian to seek to enjoy life, God's provision, and so forth. In doing so, we honor and glorify God.

Who are some of your heroes of the faith? Missionary Jim Elliot for his perspective of life and death. Pastor John Piper for his thirst for the glory of God. Seminary professor and mentor Paul Enns for his zeal of the Bible. Pastor Alistair Begg for his conversational, yet spiritually profound preaching.

What are some of your hobbies? I mostly enjoy spending time with my family. I also like to read, cook, work with wood, and work on home improvement projects. I enjoy sports (baseball and football mostly) and used to like playing golf, but don't have the time to do that much anymore.

Tell one unusual fact about yourself. Not many people know this, but I have a slightly receding hairline. Other than that, I once ate an entire jelly donut in one bite.