Justin was born and raised near Indianapolis, Indiana.  He was an active member of an evangelical Quaker church where at the age of thirteen he accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, thus beginning his life as a disciple.   In 2003 God called Justin to preach and teach the Gospel, accepting that calling at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Glendale where he served as an associate minister.  In 2007 he left Mt. Zion to accept the position of youth pastor at Faith Christian Fellowship Church in Newtown.  During his decade of service in this capacity Justin saw God do glorious work in the lives of many at risk teens, where they came to know the Lord Jesus and broke through the low societal expectations and family barriers that bound them. 

 

In 2015 Justin accepted the role of Senior Pastor at FCFC and helped navigate the church through a period of transition that ultimately lead to its rebirth in 2019.  Living Roots Church is the new community that emerged from this rebirth and Justin has never been more excited and driven by the work the Lord has given him as pastor.

 

Justin’s desire is to lead a church that embodies the sacredness that Christ intended.  This sacredness comes through the personal and communal pursuit of holiness, committing to Christ and one another in love.  Having received the vision to ‘nourish the root,’ and anchoring this image on the parable of the soils (Matthew 13), he sees the mission of the church is to bear witness to the presence of God by embodying His love in thought, in attitude, and in works.  We are to be the mind, the heart, and the hands of Christ.

 

Justin is a graduate of: Xavier University, B.S.Ed.; Miami University, M.A.T., Biological Sciences; and Trinity Theological Seminary, M.Div., Pastoral Ministry.   He is blessed to share life with his wife Cherise.  Together they are raising their son Ashton, who keeps life interesting.   He loves sports and time in his ‘man cave.’  But above all he loves to experience the presence of God in everyday ways, with the sight of purple flowers as a reminder that our Lord is with us always.