Pastoral Intern

Born and raised: I was born in San Jose, CA.  My family moved around quite a bit growing up and I have lived in California, Illinois, Michigan, Vermont, Maryland, Ohio, and the Dominican Republic.

Education: Grand Rapids Theological Seminary (M.Div.); Michigan State University (BS Psychology)

Ministry Experience: I am currently serving the College Ministry and Growth Groups Ministry. I have been working with the College Ministry at South Church since 1997, becoming an official intern in 2004 as I began seminary. I have had the privilege of serving in many ways during that time and some of the highlights include: helping to lead and develop small group material, participating in contact evangelism, preaching the Word on Sunday mornings and during other large group events, working with students doing one to one discipleship, and leading College Equippers Core class since 2005.

Spouse: Shannon DeLap (married July 16th, 2004)

Hobbies: Mountain biking, hiking, camping, playing video games, and reading.

Testimony: I grew up in a family that loved God and taught me to know him at a young age. I made a profession of faith at an early age, understanding that Jesus was my Savior. During my teenage years, I began to think that the Christian life was more about “rules” and began to live for my self interests. I wound up being very depressed as I found living that way empty, and began to make self destructive choices. Because of that, I spent a year in a boarding school in the Dominican Republic and it was there that I recommitted my life to Christ as my Savior. As I came to college at Michigan State, I began to drift away from God as I allowed social and other interests to dominate my life. I began to find my fulfillment in a dating relationship and God graciously got my attention once again through a painful breakup during which I time I realized what it meant to call Christ the Lord of my life. It was during that time that I felt God’s call to pursue ministry as a full time career. I finished my undergraduate degree and continued to grow in depth and maturity through Seminary. I have a passion for reaching and discipling college students as that is where God really got my attention to follow Him wholeheartedly. A passage that I have found encouraging and which helps me focus is 1 Corinthians 5:14-15, 20a, which states: 

¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 

²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us…