The Journey of Discernment
Over the past several years, God has brought an unfolding clarity to my sense of calling through prayer, pastoral affirmation, and moments of spiritual prompting that I could never have orchestrated. The journey began years ago during our church planting season, when my wife had a prophetic dream. In this dream, she saw three specific locations marked on a map: our house in Hillsboro near Quatama Station (where we were planting the church), Multnomah Village in Portland, and Lake View Blvd in Lake Oswego. At the time, the dream seemed cryptic with no clear meaning beyond confirming our current location.
In November 2022, the second part of this prophetic map began to take shape when I was hired at Greater Portland Bible Church, located in Multnomah Village — the second location from my wife's dream. As this pattern emerged, we started to recognize God's hand in directing our path.
In February 2023, I officially began my role at GPBC as Youth Director. Not long after our arrival, my wife was invited to share during a meeting with the elders. When asked about her spiritual gifts, she explained how her strategic thinking sometimes manifests prophetically. During this meeting, she noted that it was not by accident that the church was getting a new worship pastor, youth pastor, and children's pastor around the same time — that God was bringing the church into a new season.
That same day, a powerful image came to her: a comparison between an unkempt apple tree and a well-tended orchard tree. She received clarity that GPBC was like the healthy orchard tree — properly pruned, cared for, and with buds ready to bloom despite the winter season. This contrasted with many churches that resembled the neglected tree, bearing fruit that was compromised and not reaching its potential.
She then received a message about a coming harvest among her generation — people who had been focused on social justice were beginning to recognize that treating symptoms without addressing the root cause of sin was insufficient. She saw how many would turn to Jesus as the Great Physician, seeking healing for themselves, their families, and their communities. The seeds of faith planted long ago would begin to grow again as people opened their eyes to see the fields ripe for harvest, just as Jesus described in John 4:34-38.
About 6-9 months after we arrived at GPBC, I experienced what I now call "the parking lot moment." After a long day at the church, I was getting into my car when an uninvited, unexpected thought landed clearly in my mind: "You're going to be the lead pastor here." I brushed it off immediately. Greg was still in the role, and I had never seen student ministry as a stepping stone to senior leadership. The thought seemed presumptuous, so I filed it away without dwelling on it.
In September 2024, the third location from my wife's dream years earlier came into focus when she was offered a job in Lake Oswego, on Lake View Blvd. Without deliberately seeking it, we found ourselves living the very fulfillment of that prophetic dream. The three locations she had seen marked on a map had now all become significant points in our journey.
When Greg announced his resignation as Lead Pastor, I recalled the parking lot moment. I asked my wife if she remembered what I had told her about that experience. She replied, "I can't stop thinking about it."
In the months since, God has urged me forward through prayer, wise counsel, staff alignment, and ministry fruit. This process has not been about ambition or seeking advancement. It has been about obedience to a calling that has unfolded over years through a series of confirmations I could never have orchestrated. I didn't chase this role, but I am now prepared to step into it if the church discerns that this is indeed God's direction.