Assistant Pastor
Email: ryan@creekside.com
About Ryan: By the grace of God I grew up in a Christian home and thus grew up in the church, being exposed to a Christian worldview from the very beginning of my life. In ninth grade, through God’s work in the ministry of my youth pastor, I came to put my faith in Christ as Lord and Savior of my life, realizing for the first time that I was a wretched sinner in need of a merciful savior. I began to follow Christ and live my life in light of his desires rather than my own. I found that I had an incredibly strong love for the church, and I began to sense that God was calling me into pastoral ministry.
As I went off to college at the University of Florida, God continued to provide incredible ministry experiences that sharpened me and enabled me to further discern my sense of calling. But most pertinent to my continuing maturity in the faith and exploration of pastoral ministry was my involvement with Creekside Community Church. I became a member in 2004 and began volunteering with the youth program during my junior and senior years of college. After graduating, the church brought me on staff as a pastoral intern, giving me the opportunity to shadow the pastoral staff and see what ministry was like around the church day-to-day and week-to-week. After my internship I remained on staff for an additional year as Director of College Ministries, a role with increased responsibilities and opportunities to try my hand at ministry.
Knowing that I needed to pursue more formal theological education and pastoral preparation, I attended Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where I received my M.Div. and Th.M. while serving with an EFCA church in the Chicago area. I am about to marry the love of my life, Emily, and together we intend to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He may call us. I currently serve as an assistant pastor at Creekside with an interest in college ministry and a passion for reaching Gainesville, the Southeast, and all the world with the gospel of grace.
