Meet Our Pastor

Alan likes to say he has been adopted twice. The first time was by his parents, Barbara and Buford in Waco, Texas when he was an infant. The second time was as a 16-year-old high school student who responded to God’s call to new life in Christ through the ministry of Young Life.

“When searching for a church to attend, I found a home at First Methodist Church of Waco, and it gave me the gift of a community that would shape my life from that day forward.”  Over the next few years Alan’s involvement in the church included service and leadership roles in the worship, youth, college, young singles, and elementary Sunday School ministries of the church.

Alan met his wife, Kelly (also adopted as an infant) at that church and moved to the metroplex where they helped a friend plant a new congregation in Carrollton. In this experience, Alan received and responded to his own call to ministry. He has served churches in Kentucky and in North Texas and has successfully planted 2 churches as the founding pastor. “Kelly’s support while pursuing her own career as a teacher was unwavering and always astounded me. But it’s understandable too. Her family was among the first to join a new church start in 1978 that became The Woodlands Methodist Church, just north of Houston. So, it’s kind of in her spiritual DNA too.”

Kelly and Alan have five children. James, Emily, Mary, and Jodi are their adult children, and they have a 17-year-old high school senior, Dylan still at home.

“The part of ministry that gets me the most excited is building and being part of a team of people who learn, train and work together in a community of love and unshakable joy. There is nothing like the feeling a team has in looking back on their work and realizing that by God’s grace, they were able to accomplish far more than they ever imagined they could. I am beyond thrilled to be able to come serve the people of Our Living Hope Fellowship as your pastor and see what it is God will accomplish through us as we follow Jesus together.”