I grew up in western Washington. After graduating from high school, I studied theology at Whitworth University. During the summers, I worked at two Presbyterian Church (USA) church camps: Camp Sawtooth in Idaho and Calvin Crest in California. After graduating from Whitworth, I served for two years as Director of Youth Ministries at Living Waters Presbyterian Church in Wendell, ID. While in Idaho, I began to become involved in the emerging church conversation, and that eventually led me to become one of the co-founders of presbymergent, a group for Presbyterians interested in Emergent (more info here).

After two years in Idaho, I began a Dual Degree program at Princeton Theological Seminary. During my time at seminary, I met and married my wife Sarah Walker Cleaveland, an MDiv graduate from Columbia Theological Seminary. We lived in Atlanta for one year and then went back to Princeton so I could finish the last year of my degree program and so Sarah could get a ThM. I graduated in May of 2008 and am actively seeking a call. I am a Candidate, under care of Kendall Presbytery in Idaho, and am certified to be circulating my PIF, you can view it here.