Tom is a native of Chicago, IL, and has lived in the surrounding area his entire life. His introduction to matters of God and spirituality came from his Lutheran upbringing at Messiah Lutheran Church, Kenosha Wisconsin. During his time at Messiah Lutheran, Tom was inwardly confronted with his need for Christ as his Savior. He put his faith in Jesus and became a Christian at the age of twelve.
Several years of typical rebellious teenage-years passed when the Lord reignited Tom’s passion for the Christian life. Through the ministry of Temple Baptist Church, Kenosha, Wisconsin, Tom rededicated his life to Christ in the summer of 1984. Two years later, he sensed God’s call to the pastorate, to which he responded by giving himself to the priority of preparing for the ministry. He did so through various discipleship training courses and frequent opportunities to preach and teach at Temple Baptist and other nearby churches. It was also during his time at Temple that Tom met and fell in love with Sharon. They were married in June of 1987. Tom, together with Sharon, continued to serve faithfully at Temple Baptist for the next two years.
In the summer of 1989, Tom’s first ministry experience in church planting began at a mission church in Burlington, WI that was about to disband. The church’s desperate need for leadership prompted Tom and Sharon to give their service to New Covenant Baptist Church. For three years, Tom served as the adult bible study teacher, church pianist, and preacher for the Sunday night and Wednesday night services. The church officially licensed Tom for the ministry in September 1990. Tom and Sharon felt their work there had come came to a close when the church, having grown and strengthened, was able provide its own leadership within its ranks.
Ministry opportunities opened in several churches thereafter. Tom was named interim senior pastor for a period of six months at First Baptist Church, Zion, IL and chaired the church's search committee. During his time as interim pastor, Tom, along with his wife, instated the church’s AWANA program. When the church hired its new pastor, Tom found other ministry opportunities, among them a youth pastorate of a sister church in Zion, Illinois
In the fall of 1995, Tom was accepted to the Moody Bible Institute, where he enrolled in the Pastoral Studies Program. As practical ministry experience was required during this program, Tom had the opportunity to expand his experience with several other area churches by leading a single’s ministry, chairing a church development committee, and establishing another AWANA program. He also served as a marriage counselor, and supply preached for many of the Southern Baptist churches in the Lake County, Illinois area.
In May of 1998, Tom graduated from Moody Bible Institute, earning a B.A. in Pastoral Studies. On July 18, 1998 he was ordained and now serves as senior pastor of Lighthouse Church of Antioch in Antioch, IL.
In 2012, a long-time dream became reality when Tom and Sharon purchased a little farm in nearby Bristol, WI. They raise a small flock of sheep and other animals, including chickens, goats and even a donkey. Pastor Tom has become a shepherd in more ways than one.
Click on the link below to direct you to the Bear Valley Farm website for more information on the farm: bearvalleyfarm.net