About BenBen sensed God's call to be a pastor in January 2000, while attending Toccoa Falls College in northeast Georgia. Ben had already committed his life to full-time ministry after spending his high school summers on mission trips with Teen Missions Int'l, but on that January day God clearly laid a passion on Ben's heart to shepherd God's people. The following passage of scripture resonates strongly with Ben.
So Christ himself gave . . . the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. - Ephesians 4: 11-13 NIV |
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Before completing college, though, Ben took a detour. Following the events of September 11, 2001, Ben fulfilled a life-long promise to enlist in the military should the nation go to war. Ben's father and both grandfathers all made careers out of the military, and though Ben felt no family pressure to join, he felt a strong sense of duty to country. Five years later, with a 16-month combat deployment under his belt, Ben re-entered civilian life angry and broken. Although he maintained his faith in God, Ben felt that his experiences in the army disqualified him from ministry, in much the same way that King David was not allowed to build a temple for the Lord due to the blood on his hands (1 Chronicles 28:3).
As Ben began the healing process of life after war, he settled in Phoenix, Arizona and began a family. In 2008, Ben married his wife Liz, a Wisconsin-born and raised educator. Together, Ben and Liz have five children - Aiden Noah, Hailey Ruth, Railyn Joy, Laina Elizabeth, and Saidee Hope. Somewhere in there, Ben completed his undergraduate degree in sociology at Arizona State University and settled into a life focused on providing for a growing family. But God's call hadn't changed...
As Ben began the healing process of life after war, he settled in Phoenix, Arizona and began a family. In 2008, Ben married his wife Liz, a Wisconsin-born and raised educator. Together, Ben and Liz have five children - Aiden Noah, Hailey Ruth, Railyn Joy, Laina Elizabeth, and Saidee Hope. Somewhere in there, Ben completed his undergraduate degree in sociology at Arizona State University and settled into a life focused on providing for a growing family. But God's call hadn't changed...
By 2015, Ben was well established in a comfortable career as an insurance claims adjuster, but God was tugging on Ben's heart. Ben and Liz were becoming more and more involved at Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV), where they had attended for 9 years. Together they led and hosted a neighborhood small group and mentored other couples through the church's pre-marital ministry. All the while, God was showing Ben that He doesn't call the qualified, rather He qualifies the called. So when Ben was recommended for CCV's Leadership Institute, Ben knew it was time to step forward in faith and obedience to God's call.
Ben completed his pastoral residency at CCV and graduated with a Master of Strategic Ministry degree in May 2017. With his pastoral gifting affirmed and an arsenal of leadership qualities fine-tuned, Ben sat poised to further God's kingdom by equipping the saints in the local church for acts of service. In July 2017, Ben moved his family to Southeast Wisconsin to join Southbrook Church in the role of Groups & Guests Pastor.
Ben completed his pastoral residency at CCV and graduated with a Master of Strategic Ministry degree in May 2017. With his pastoral gifting affirmed and an arsenal of leadership qualities fine-tuned, Ben sat poised to further God's kingdom by equipping the saints in the local church for acts of service. In July 2017, Ben moved his family to Southeast Wisconsin to join Southbrook Church in the role of Groups & Guests Pastor.