Thirty years ago, Rich went to Philadelphia College of Bible to prepare for what he has been doing the last three decades. He and Barbie met in college and trusted that God was leading them to do life and ministry together, and its been a blast ever since, especially when God gave them Grayson, Destiny , and Jackson to be a part of the story. That story has been marked by making disciples of Jesus, seeking to stir a love for God in others out of a clear understanding of who they are in Christ. While wearing many different hats through the years, the primary one has been that of a youth pastor. Rich was aware, however, that the season of youth pastoring was coming to a close, and started seeking God’s leading as to what was next. Through ongoing prayer and study, through reading and seeking wise counsel, it became clear that God was leading Rich & Barbie to shift from being primarily “in ministry” in a church to being more “on mission” in everyday life.
That led them to explore Soma (which means Body in Greek) and receive training for those interested in living lives on mission. The lead trainers were at Redeemer Round Rock, a Soma church in Texas. They visited in late June of 2015, and both the leaders of Redeemer along with Rich & Barbie felt a clear confirmation that they were to partner together for the cause of the Gospel and preparing for the next season of ministry. They were invited to start a 2-year residency beginning in January, 2016, which involved an immersion into Redeemer’s rhythms of life and learning by doing in order to reproduce it in future ministry. It was during this time they moved to Georgetown. They started a missional community, which became a church plant, but due to various factors, closed down in the fall of 2019.
Rich is now partnering with Iona Fellowship, a ministry that seeks to unleash the full potential of all people by declaring and displaying the Christ-centered life. Barbie is a fourth grade math teacher in Georgetown, impacting students with a love for math as she lives out her love for Jesus. Grayson is with Marriott as part of a sales team here in Texas, and is a joy to all who encounter him. Destiny has been with YWAM in New Zealand and Switzerland, and is looking to be on staff with them in 2020 as she works at Chick-Fil-A here in Georgetown in the meantime. Jackson lives in Florida with some good friends, having been greatly shaped from spending the last two summers doing a youth ministry internship there. Oh yeah, Reagan is loving being in a neighborhood with other dog friends that also is right near parks and a river.
HARTS ON MISSION 