About Michael

I am a native Texan, born and raised in the Dallas area. After a failed attempt at college at The University of Texas, I ended up rebounding and graduated from SMU with a BS in Economics. I spent 10 years in a fairly successful career in commercial real estate finance. 

But not all was as it appeared. Beneath the surface, for the entirety of my adult life, I had struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction. I was drawn to the darker side of life, which regrettably led to much destruction and pain, not just in my life, but in the lives of those closest to me. But by God’s grace that was not the end of the story.

Recently divorced, hopeless and addicted I landed in a treatment center in south Texas. Although I went to church and was even baptized, I honestly didn’t know God and I certainly didn’t want anything to do with Him. It was there that things began to change and God began to reveal His plan for my life. It was there that He brought about brokenness. It was there that he shined the light of His grace into the darkness of my heart and the chaos of my life. It was there that the Spirit gave me hope. It was there that I first believed.

Returning home I had a new found desire to know and follow God. As part of my aftercare plan I spent 3 years in the non-gospel recovery culture. Early on, I returned to church and felt at home for the very first time. I loved being with God’s people and immersed myself in the church. Coming to know Jesus has, without question become the most wonderful part of my life. He is the hero of my story. Without him I would have nothing to say.

I returned to school and pursued a MA in Counseling at DBU. God brought me to The Village Church in the spring of 2003 and continued to do amazing things in my heart. I wasn't sure why, but it soon became clear that I was to help start a Recovery ministry. We launched Recovery at The Village in January 2004. I was working in full-time private practice at The Center for Christian Counseling at an LPC when I was hired by The Village as the Recovery and Reconciliation pastor in 2007.

In 2014 I was invited to come to Plano to begin building a recovery ministry to serve this community. It has been one of my greatest joys to be a part of seeing the redemption of broken people by the power of the gospel. 

Today, I enjoy life with my family: my lovely bride, Sonia, and my beautiful children McKenna, Ava and Greyson.

My Hope for Citizens Church

My hope for Citizens Church is that we would bring glory to God through lives changed by the gospel for Jesus Christ. I pray this change would be demonstrated in how we love people throughout our city and around the world. I pray that we would be known as a place for gospel-centered hope and healing for the broken and broken-hearted.