Jim was born with normal hearing but when he was about six years old he became profoundly deaf due to a high fever. For many years, he was mad at God because he was deaf. However as time passed, Jim discovered that his deafness was not a mistake, but rather a part of God’s plan for his life.  He also learned about God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Later in Bible College, two more things happened that would change Jim’s life.  He discovered the deaf world, and met his wife Deborah. Jim became immersed in learning Sign Language and Deaf Culture. Because Deborah was born deaf, she was a great asset in making this transition much easier for him.

After graduation from college, Jim and Deborah moved to Florida where they started deaf ministries in hearing churches and trained church interpreters. Then another life-changing experience occurred when the Lord called them to go to Mexico to start a church for the deaf. After that church developed to the point of having a national pastor, Jim and Deborah began to seek God’s will for the next step in their lives.

In February of 2008, Jim and Deborah came to BT McAllen as pastor to the deaf. They both have a great desire for the deaf of the Rio Grande Valley to know Jesus and to grow in grace as His disciples. They also have two great sons, Jonathan and Joshua. Both of the boys are professional ASL interpreters.