Since salvation at the age of sixteen, God has given Pastor Derek opportunities to share Jesus all over the world in adventures that have included singing to prisoners at the age of 17, traveling to seventeen different countries, starting successful bus ministries at four different churches, creating TeenFire Ministries (a community youth group that partnered with local churches and reached thousands of local teens and family members), pastoring a rural church that developed a vital park ministry to community families, leading music ministries with praise bands, choirs, and orchestras, preaching in parks and festivals, counseling teens and families toward recovery, starting small group Bible studies for seekers in factories, and working with teams of all shapes and sizes to accomplish the sharing of the Gospel.

Pastor Derek truly believes that the most exciting and rewarding life is found in serving Jesus and people in the mission of Christ to the world.