Ministry Leaders

James is a retired 20-year U.S. Army veteran with leadership experience at both operational and tactical levels. His military service includes deployments to Kosovo in 2001 and Iraq in 2008. He also served one overseas tour in Korea in 2013. He was featured in Indianhead, the official magazine of the 2nd Infantry Division, in 2014. He was also featured in The Southwesterner, the official student magazine of his alma mater, Southwestern College (Kansas), in 2016. A devout Christian for 20+ years, he was baptized in North Macedonia near the province where the apostle Paul taught. He received his Master of Theological Studies from Southwestern College in 2015 and his Bachelor of Arts in Religion from American Military University in 2013. He served as a Bible and faith formation teacher in military chapels, college ministries, and churches for 10+ years.

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James is a dedicated paleo-orthodox Wesleyan minister. He read the Bible cover to cover twice, first the New International Version (NIV) in 2009 and then the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) with Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books in 2018. He is passionate about applying his knowledge, especially in teaching the historical-grammatical method of reading the Bible, early church history, and Wesleyan theology. He also has experience serving as a professional growth counselor and as a sexual harassment/assault victim advocate. His eventual goal is to apply this learning and expertise toward launching a community-based, first-century-style church in his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania.

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James has a diverse journey of faith, starting with his infant baptism at St. Peter Cathedral, the headquarters of the Diocese of Erie. He also attended Catholic parochial school from third to seventh grade. As an adult, God called him out of the Catholic Church to receive the believer's baptism, which a U.S. Army chaplain administered. His journey took him to Anglican, Baptist, Episcopal, Pentecostal, and Presbyterian churches before God called him to learn at a Methodist liberal arts college in Kansas. All these experiences led him to strive for a "first-century faith," reconstructing his beliefs in the original faith once delivered by Christ Jesus and his apostles. To this end, he launched Paleo-Christian Ministries in August 2013. He is a member of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, the Society of Evangelical Arminians, and the Society for Post-Supersessionist Theology.

Aaron was raised in a broken home, and his parents separated when he was 14. His house was devoid of good Christian practices. However, at 12, he accepted Christ as his personal savior. Later that same year, an elderly neighbor invited him to a Vacation Bible School. His faith matured at this church, and he realized a calling to ministry. By his senior year of high school, he admitted that he was not yet ready for pastoral ministry, so he joined the U.S. Army as a chaplain assistant. He grew and learned through this service while being around many Christian pastors. While living in Texas, he led the AWANA program at the church where his family attended. Through this experience, he realized his calling: to work with families and their children, empowering them to teach and learn the Word together.

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After realizing God's call on his life, Aaron focused on finishing his undergraduate degree. Although his goal was to complete it before leaving the Army to pursue this calling, God had another plan. He was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a disorder that affects connective tissues, in March 2015. As a result, the U.S. Army honorably discharged him from service due to medical reasons.

 

Aaron and his wife knew God told them, "Go and do as I have called you." So, they started looking for a church to serve. This search would lead them to Columbia Baptist Church in Kentucky. At first, he served as the Children's Pastor before becoming the Family Pastor. His focus never changed: nurturing, teaching, and growing a Bible-based, family-driven ministry. He feels like he did just that! In addition to leading a thriving ministry, he finished his Master of Theology from Campbellsville University and a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies—a dual minor program focused on Business & Christian Counseling—from Liberty University.

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All in all, Aaron is just a creative guy who loves trying to present the gospel in fun and exciting ways! He authored "Don't Worry, I Saw This on MacGyver: Engaging Kids with Object Lessons and Props" (Ch. 8) in Irresistible: How to Engage Kids and Point Them to Jesus (Four Rivers Media, 2018) and "Put a Little Seasoning on It: You Are Stronger When You Learn from Those Who Came before You" (Ch. 14) in Stronger: Increase Your Personal Depth and Wisdom (Four Rivers Media, 2019).