Rock and roll was my life and my god. When I was 8 years old, I remember very clearly wanting to sing or play the drums. When I was 12, I learned that I would never make a dime doing either one. So, I set my sights on radio.
About ten years later, I was living the dream–at least my dream at the time. I was working on the radio during the week and in nightclubs on the weekend. I was making everyone else happy but was empty inside. Somehow, I knew there must be more.
Through the invitation of a Christian friend, I started attending a Bible-teaching church. I marveled at how the people actually seemed happy to be there. I also heard them talk about Jesus in a way that I had never heard before. I remember being puzzled, thinking there are so many different religions and churches, how can I know which one is right? I was taught from the cradle that the Bible was the Word of God and that Jesus was the Son of God. So, I bought a Bible to see what Jesus had to say. (During this time I would talk with a believing friend, listen to a fair amount of Christian radio, attend a Catholic church in the morning and an evangelical church in the evening.) It was about nine months of reading through the gospels twice before the message took.
I was struck by Jesus’ perfection in all He did. I was most amazed at how He related with people, especially those who were trying to harm Him. In the light of His standard, I realized for the first time that I fell far short. I was getting a handle by now of heaven and hell and the frightening realization that I was heading in the wrong direction. Only then could I really understand the fact that Jesus not only died for the sins of the world but that He also died for my sins! I accepted, by faith, the fact that His blood was shed in my place to set me free.
There followed another nine months of struggle, trying to reconcile my Rock music career with my newfound faith and praying to know God’s will for my life. It was not until I made a clear break with all my former ways of earning a living and trust totally in the Lord, that God was able to break through with clear guidance. On Christmas Eve, of 1982, I loaded up my music inventory of 500 albums and 1,000 singles in the car and dropped them in a big green dumpster. Somehow, I knew it was time to allow Jesus the opportunity to guide my life.
After that crisis moment, it only took two and a half weeks to learn of a position in Christian radio, send a tape, and my belongings were in the back of the car on the way to Kentucky and WNKJ. From there, God has allowed me to serve him in Christian radio, church planting in Milan, Italy, and pastoring churches in Connecticut, Indiana, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.