Pastor Alan arrived in Garrison in April of 2014 with his wife Terry; they have been married for over 30 years.  Alan and Terry have 4 children: Nathan, Sonja, Hannah and Kristina.  Their kids live in Bismarck and Grand Forks.

Pastor Alan graduated from Northwest Bible College with a BA in Biblical Studies.  He also graduated from The Church of God Seminary in Cleveland TN with an MA in Pastoral Ministry. He attended Minot State College [now Minot State University].   He has pastored in North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, California and Virginia.

Pastor Alan has an avid interest in history.   He enjoys hunting, fishing and visiting historical sites and the great outdoors.   He has an obsession with the mechanics and history of bicycles and enjoys working on them as a hobby.   His office is filled with toys and superhero items [Spiderman is his favorite].

Pastor Alan believes that the Church and each Christian has two responsibilities: Love God with all our being and love others as ourselves.   In James this is identified as the "Royal Law."  He believes that the Church must define its mission and purpose by reference to 2 Corinthians chapters 4 through 6 with special reference to chapter 5 verses 14 through 21. This informs and guides the preparation of his sermons and lessons.

Pastor Alan likes to use multimedia in his sermons as well as object lessons to make his point. He believes his messages should be relevant and interesting, believing it is his responsibility to deal honestly and forthrightly with issues and questions.