Grew up in Arcadia, Louisiana, famous for where Bonnie and Clyde met their demise but spent most of my time 12 minutes down the road in Ruston, Louisiana where eventually God graciously connected me with James “Skin” Skinner. I had trusted Jesus at the age of seven within the community of a Baptist church to which my parents consistently exposed me, but God would use faithful men like Skin to really challenge and encourage me toward following Jesus while in high school.
Skin introduced me to Kanakuk Kamps where after my freshmen year of college (La Tech) I would spend the next 10 summers of my life while also discipling students through K-Life in Springfield, MO and Kansas City, KS during the year. Kamp was pivotal in shaping a self-centered, arrogant boy into a Jesus-loving man. It is also where God introduced me to the gift of Laurie Bennett, now Laurie Towns.
We moved around a bit so I will spare you the details, but if you’re from one of these locations, I would enjoy finding out who we mutually know and share some stories: Denton Bible Church; Cherry Hills Community Church, CO; Camp Vesper Point (Chattanooga, TN); Fellowship Bible Topeka, KS; Second Baptist School, Houston; and King’s Ridge Christian School, Alpharetta, GA. And we were in Dallas in 2000 finishing up at DTS and members at Watermark when it began meeting at Lake Highlands High School.
Laurie and I were blessed with four arrows in the quiver which have all been launched into the world on mission for Jesus and the gospel. We are not a perfect family, but we love being together! It’s always a fun time! Tanner is married to Jennifer, and then there is Reid, Ellie and Josie.
God is good and faithful!