Prior to Pastor Dan's conversion he was a speed metal drummer. Contrary to expectations he was quite reserved and assumed his lack of involvement in trouble-making guaranteed heaven. One summer night in 1989 while cruising with a band member they met a car of girls at a stoplight. After getting their attention they stopped to meet each other. Dan eventually started dating one of the girls. Her parents were Christians and made a great impact on his life. They invited him to their church and he began reading the Bible with great curiosity. Dan learned that good people go to Hell all the time because they die without Jesus the Savior.
On May 11, 1990 he gave his life to Jesus Christ by admitting he was a sinner, repenting and believing that Jesus died and rose from the dead for his sins (John 3:36, 14:6; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15; Galatians 2:16).
Dan was mentored by his pastor for ten years, and even while he attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in 1993. As a student he led the open air evangelism team and ministries in a nursing home and to inner city kids. He graduated in 1997 with a B. A. in Pastoral Studies. Dan then attended Capital Bible Seminary in Maryland in 1998 where he became the chaplain. He graduated in 2002 with an MDiv. degree.
Dan had a passion to be a pastor but first attempted to be a missionary to Japan with his wife Michiko. God gave him his original desire to be a pastor when he took the position at Grace Bible Fellowship in 2005. He met his wife Michiko at Moody, they were married in 1999, and they have three sons, Jesse, Justin and Jonathan, and a daughter, Kiyomi. Michiko is from Japan and has a B. A. in Christian counseling from Washington Bible College in Maryland.
