Pastor «

Mike is the founding senior pastor and a presiding elder of the Lighthouse Church. While reading the New Testament as a young believer, he came to understand that God could and would use someone like him, even as he used Peter. Mike began his studies and pastoral ministries, which he considers the most rewarding use of his life.

His first pastoral job was as a youth pastor and music director at Pilchuck Valley Chapel. He received a certificate of completion of ministry training at Faith Bible Training Center, a department of Faith Tabernacle in Covington, Washington. Mike went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Literature with a minor in missions and New Testament Greek. He then worked on post graduate studies in Pastoral Ministries at Multnomah University.
Mike’s passions in ministry are to help people find hope, grow in their knowledge of the Scriptures, and deepen their devotion to God. His greatest joy is seeing people grow in each phase of the Christian life, becoming mature servants and disciple makers.

Mike names his wife, Holly, as his most treasured human relationship. He says she is one of the few women he has ever known who love God first and foremost, and as such, she has inspired him to be a better man. His four children, Jordan, Lacey, Claire, and Nathan, are his next greatest loves. Mike understands the challenges of being pastor’s kids, and he has always sought to foster a loving, trusting, committed relationship with them. He often asks himself if they know he loves them more than the ministry he serves, and asks them if they are okay with his ministry work. They respond that they love what he does!

Outside of his pastoral duties, Mike loves football, movies, and cooking. He also owns a small business as a home designer, which gives him a place to express his artistic capabilities in the marketplace. He also likes to be alone, despite his charismatic side! Mike says, “I’m very blessed to have found God’s grace. My first pastor always taught me that it is better to err of the side of grace, and that guides my decision making. Sometimes the gracious thing to do is be direct and honest with people. I appreciate honesty and love it when people challenge me on things I believe. Some people want pastors to be abnormally saintly, others think we are devils, but people who truly understand pastors recognize they are just people trying to live for God like everyone else.