Pastor Frank's Bio
I believe that we serve a risen Savior and an awesome God. I have learned to trust God in so many areas of my life, because I have seen the way that God has helped me through the tragedies. I have experienced the presence of the Lord through the loss of two children in miscarriage, the second of which I held in the palm of my hand. I have been moved to deeply trust God when my father committed suicide. I watched God, “turn things into good”, in spite of that situation. I have witnessed to many people since then that have been about to commit suicide as well as families that have lost love ones in the same manner.
I answered the call to ministry when I was nineteen years of age. This was truly a life changing moment for me. It was my conversion experience as well as the start of a pilgrimage toward a new vocation. I have had the privilege of being one of 43 people that Dr. Owen T. Kelly helped to lead into the ministry. Since then, I have served in pastoral appointments from April 1979 with the exception of three years in the City of Chesapeake Fire Department as Fire/Rescue worker and Chaplain. I have pastored United Methodist Churches in Brunswick County VA, Knotts Island NC, appointed Disaster Coordinator in Franklin VA, and am presently at Covenant UMC in Chesapeake Virginia. I have also served in the United Methodist Church as a District Youth Leader, District Camp Coordinator, and Portsmouth District Disaster Response Team Leader. I am presently the Conference Disaster Response Team Coordinator and a past president of the Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VA. VOAD). As you can see from my disaster involvement I have a “Calling” for that type of ministry while still fulfilling the duties of pastoral ministry. In other words I am the “Disaster Pastor”.
I have been married to my wife Lynne since September 17,1983, and have a married daughter Christy (b. Dec 19, 1985) who lives with her husband Joseph Duren in Aiken SC. Joseph is also planning on going into the ministry and Christy is a teacher. We have a son David (b. August 4, 1990). David is a special-needs child with Down Syndrome. He is a direct blessing of God in the way that he was adopted and the way that he brings life and challenge to our whole family. We have also adopted a daughter Sarah (b. May 24, 2005) My family is a strong and supportive part of my ministry. My wife is a Special Needs teacher in Virginia Beach Schools. David is in Western Branch High School in Chesapeake. Our youngest daughter Sarah is a bundle of energy, with a bright mind and delightful Spirit. We have a close nuclear family as well as an extended family. God has blessed us and equipped us for ministry to show the love of God to the people of God.