David first sensed in his teenage years that the Lord was calling him to pastoral ministry, but without a clear direction with regards to where or how. So, before beginning his theological studies, he took a year to volunteer at a Christian orphanage on the northern coast of Peru, an experience that gave him a lasting passion for cross-cultural ministry. Afterwards he then linked up with the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS-USA) to explore new ways of returning to the mission field following his ordination to the priesthood. He went as a full-time missionary first to Argentina and then to Belize where he has served as pastor of two rural churches and three primary schools.
Mary Beth on the other hand had never expected to be an overseas missionary, but as she and David began dating and then looked toward marriage, she was confident that the Lord would guide her toward the kind of ministry right for her. Since joining David in Belize in 2016, she has been amazed to witness all the ways that God has used her gifts to reach others through music, outreach and youth ministries.
Their experience serving in Belize showed them the widespread need in the Global South for better and more accessible ways to educate and equip emerging chuch leaders. Having completed a PhD program in theology through Wycliffe College and the University of Toronto, the Lord is now calling David to serve on the faculty of Tyndale Theological Seminary in the Netherlands.
Tyndale is a missionary-led theological graduate school with a passion for training emerging leaders for a growing global church. David has been called to teach systematic and historical theology, core disciplines in any ministry formation that help students broaden their understanding not only of the Bible and of their faith, but of their calling to serve as part of a church spanning continents and millennia.
David and Mary Beth both enjoy hiking, music, reading and preparing gluten-free cuisine. They and their three children – Austin, James, and Lily – love living outside of the United States and experiencing different cultures as they witness the full breadth of global Christianity. While all of their children are outgoing, imaginative, fun-loving, with a deep love of books, each has an incredibly unique personality and set of passions. Austin aspires to be a missionary-archeologist-paleontologist-geologist-pirate and is an avid collector of seashells, fossils, and rocks. James would love to grow up to be a police officer-cowboy-artist and particularly enjoys climbing trees, playing superheroes, and drawing pictures. Lily plans to be a princess-mermaid and loves playing dress-up, dolls, and superheroes with her brothers.