I was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and was raised Catholic, attending Catholic school through the eighth grade. In my high school years, I walked away from the Catholic Church and went on to attend a secular high school and later college. I graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. It was my intention to become a police officer, but shortly after receiving my degree, I decided to make a change in direction. ​ I had worked for a large grocery chain since the age of 14 and continued in produce management for several years after graduation. During those years, I learned a great deal about running a business and am very grateful for the on-the-job training I received. I also loved basketball and began volunteering as a youth basketball coach for the downtown YMCA. My love for basketball encouraged me to continue my education so that I could eventually work with kids. ​ In the meantime, we hired a young lady to start a floral department in our store. She was a Christian and was not shy about her faith. She began sharing Bible verses with me, and we often discussed different things about the Bible. What impressed me the most was the fact that she knew countless verses by heart. ​ As she shared verses with me, I would write them down and later look them up in my Catholic Bible at home to see if she really knew what she was talking about. To my amazement, she did. In fact, I was so impressed by how many verses she had memorized. ​ Out of curiosity, I began visiting her church. Highland Bible Church was a small church of about 100 people. The men in the church welcomed me and quickly made me their friend. They invited me to their men’s breakfasts where we would talk and pray together. One of these men was a dynamic Sunday school teacher. His teaching was so convicting that at times I wanted to get up and leave, but I stayed. I became convicted of my sin and the truth that he was presenting. God had His hand upon me and was gently bringing me to the place where I would realize my need for a Savior. ​ In April of 1984, at the end of one of our pastor’s messages, I believed in Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Savior. I finally came to the place where I realized I must put my faith and trust in Christ alone for my salvation. From that point on, my life was never the same, and many changes followed. ​ One of the key changes was a career switch. I had continued taking education classes, completed my student teaching, and began actively looking for a teaching position in the public school system. Everywhere I applied, there were huge stacks of applications for one position, and I continued to come up empty. ​ A friend at church suggested I look into some of the area Christian schools. One school, Western Christian School, was looking for a social studies teacher as well as a varsity basketball and baseball coach. My interview went well, but the principal explained that while he would love to hire me, he felt I was a baby Christian and did not yet have the spiritual maturity necessary to teach at a Christian school. I continued searching for a teaching position without success. ​ One day, I was driving home north on Interstate 17 in Phoenix when I noticed a bus broken down on the southbound side of the freeway. As I passed, I saw the name Western Christian School on the side of the bus. I took the next exit, turned around, and pulled up behind the bus to offer help. ​ There were two classes of kindergartners on the bus, and they were completely out of control. The teachers were overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. Since this was before cell phones, I went to call for help and then returned to stay with them until assistance arrived. Because of that situation, the school administrator later called to thank me and invited me back for a second interview. After that meeting, I was hired and began my first job teaching and coaching at a Christian school. ​ I had never planned on staying in a profession that paid so little and demanded so much, but the Lord used that first year to help me grow and learn to depend on Him. God also used that experience to shape a strong philosophy of Christian education in my heart. That same year, we had our first daughter and received only about two-thirds of our pay because the school was struggling financially. At the end of the year, the high school closed, and we moved on to another Christian school in the area. ​ For the past 40 years, I have been involved in Christian school education. My five daughters have known no other form of schooling. Over the years, I have taught many different classes ranging from third through twelfth grade, including secondary social studies, English, and Bible courses. For most of that time, I have also served as a school administrator. ​ For 13 years, I served as the school administrator and a pastoral staff member at Fourth Baptist Church and Christian School in Plymouth, Minnesota. ​ Several years ago, I completed a Master of Ministry degree from Northland Baptist Bible College. In addition to my work in Christian schools, I have served in several church ministries. I have been an associate pastor, an interim pastor, filled the pulpit in many churches, taught Sunday school, served as an elder, and led parenting and evangelism group ministries. The Lord eventually led our family to make a ministry change, and I have now been serving as the senior pastor of Maywood for the past two and a half years. ​ I have five daughters and fifteen grandchildren. My wife of 38 years recently passed away after battling cancer. I am grateful to be here and honored to serve such a wonderful and loving church family. ​ ~ Pastor Alan