...that others may live!
Don was born June 29, 1953 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The oldest of seven children.
After graduation he relocated to Wisconsin to work in a family business but this proved to be a time of great turmoil in his life as he struggled in sin, not knowing who he was or what he wanted to do with his life. On October 24, 1973 he began to encounter God in a personal way. In 1974 he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado to attend Nazarene Bible College to study for ministry. A year later he transferred to Hobe Sound Bible College in Florida.
While at Hobe Sound Bible College he met and dated Joy Baines and on June 18, 1976 they were married. In 1978 he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Education and was the President of the Ministerial Association during his senior year. He pastored churches for seven years taking his first church in Pittsburg, PA where he served as the associate pastor and assistant principle of the school. He also served as pastor for three years in Petersburg, VA. Don has a pastor's heart, so when invited by his alma mater in Hobe Sound to move to Florida to plant a church in the rapidly growing community of Port St. Lucie, Florida, he happily did so.
Don has been involved in counseling for many years at many local churches. God has done an amazing spiritual transformation in his life, taking him from religious legalism to the freedom of Christ as his Life. After striving to serve God for years, he began to realize his total inability to do so. As he begin to understand his inadequacy in his own strength, he discovered the adequacy of Christ as his Life. This discovery began to take place in 2000 through attending the training opportunities of the Christ Life Seminar, workshops, and Advanced Discipleship Training at CrossLife Ministries.
In 2001, upon completion of the CrossLife Residency Program, Don joined the staff as a counselor. In July 2003, he became Executive Director of CrossLife Ministries. Serving in this capacity, he gives oversight and direction to the ministry. He also continues to counsel and teach in all levels of training. His passion is to disciple Christians in a way that they might come to know Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and LIFE! Galatians 2:20 is a favorite verse, as well as Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ...".
Don has a passion for missions and has traveled wherever invited to preach and teach the message of grace. He has ministered to thousands of people in many different cultures and countries such as Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Mongolia, China, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Greece and Turkey.
In September 2018 Don began a second ministry call Life As God Intended (LGI). LGI has its only website www.lifeasgodintended.org and YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpd3whD3EQqj-qWOYMrVbwg?view_as=subscriber where daily video teachings are posted to encourage Christians.
He and his wife Joy have seven children seven grandchildren.