Greg is originally from Southern Illinois and served our nation for six years deploying to Afghanistan in 2002, with the 1/75th Ranger Regiment, and Iraq in 2003, with a long-range surveillance unit.
During and after his military service, Greg struggled with the effects of war and a lack of hope, identity, and purpose. This eventually led him on a pilgrimage through Spain and Ireland to learn more about himself and the answers to these struggles. Along the way, Greg learned how to paint from European artists and eventually started showing his artwork in Laguna Beach, CA. and Charlotte, NC. In the midst his new art career, he continued struggling with lack of hope, identity, and purpose. It didn’t matter how much money, recognition, success he experienced; all was vanity. Greg realized that neither he nor anything in the world could fill the vast hole in his heart. Like all people, he longed for something transcendent and permanent. The effects of war combined with a continued lack of hope left him with self-destructive tendencies and complete emptiness.
One sunny day in Charlotte, NC, Greg walked into a coffee shop and noticed two men sitting at a table with an open bible. In a fit of anger, he walked up and punched a bible, spilled their coffee, and tried intellectually challenging them. One of the men was Gabe Smith, a former Army Ranger officer, who responded by buying himself and Greg a new cup of coffee and inviting him to sit and talk. Gabe listened, answered spiritual questions, and concluded by giving Greg his phone number saying, “If you need anything at all, give me a call, even if it’s late at night.”
About a week later, Greg experienced a manifestation of demonic activity within his home. Not knowing what to do and quite fearful of something beyond his control, he ran outside, dropped to his knees, and tearfully pleaded for God to save him. Greg remembered that he had Gabe’s phone number and called him. Gabe went to his house, shared the Gospel, and Greg responded by placing his faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. After accepting Jesus as Lord, Gabe prayer over his home and invited him to his mens group. For the following 18 months, three men discipled and invested themselves in Greg. They taught him about his new faith, the Scriptures, about having a deeper relationship with Christ, and they modeled authentic Christian community.
Like all people who turn and place their faith in Jesus Christ, the void in Greg’s heart has been permanently filled with true hope and peace. His identity is now in Christ and his purpose is to exalt Jesus’ name and make disciples of all nations to the glory of God.
Greg has since married a pastor’s daughter, attended Southern Evangelical Seminary, and has served as a missionary and pastor for multiple organizations. Most of his ministry experience is equipping churches in evangelism, serving the persecuted church in Asia, facilitating evangelism events in the U.S & Central America, and reaching U.S. secular universities through apologetics evangelism.
Greg is passionate about equipping teams to reach difficult areas with the Gospel and seeing entire communities transformed by the love and grace of Christ.
He and his family of six live in southeast U.S.