Mike was born in Dallas, Texas on June 9, 1957. The oldest of four boys, he was nurtured, discipled, and ordained in a mission-minded church, First Baptist Church of Carrollton, Texas. At the age of nine he made a commitment to Christ during Vacation Bible School. At the age of 16 while on a choir tour/mission trip to Canada, God called him into full-time Christian service.

While attending Baylor University, Mike met Cheryl Ann Pittman whom he later married on August 15, 1981. Cheryl was led to the Lord by her father, Rev. Sam Pittman, a minister and retired staff member of the International Mission Board in Richmond, Virginia. Cheryl earned a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Baylor University in 1980 and a Masters in Family Health Nursing from Georgia College and State University in 1996. She is currently a member of the nursing faculty at the Louise Herrington School of Nursing, Baylor University. Mike and Cheryl are the parents of two teenagers, David and Michael.

Mike has extensive experience as a local practitioner in the areas of Sunday  School, church growth, and leadership development. He has led workshops and seminars for various state conventions and served as a consultant to churches across the country. His experience as a church planter, a pastor of small and medium-sized churches, a staff member in large churches, and a LifeWay Church Consultant provides the background for an effective ministry in today’s diverse world.

In nearly thirty years of ministry, Mike has encountered many challenges including developing a life-changing discipleship ministry; rebuilding a weekday preschool education ministry; renovation of seven thousand square feet of preschool space; serving as a camp pastor for minister’s kids; coordinating commitment counselors for a county-wide crusade; assisting churches in leadership development through his ministry at LifeWay Church Resources; and serving as a visiting scholar at the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth at Southern Seminary.

Church growth through small group Bible Study is the foundational emphasis of Mike’s ministry. Each church he has served experienced healthy, biblical, balanced growth. In his ministry as a LifeWay Church Consultant he worked alongside pastors, staff, and church leaders in all aspects of church life.