From Sean:
"I was raised in a Christian home by godly parents who faithfully instructed me in the Word and exemplified what it means to walk in Christ. At a young age, I made a profession of faith in Jesus. Yet, as I entered college, the frailty of my own heart became evident. My faith wavered and I began living for myself, pursuing my own ambitions and glory. I walked on to the Auburn Football Team and played for the Tigers but constantly wrestled with questions of identity and worth. When your value feels tied to a depth chart, you labor endlessly for the approval of others.
Looking back, I now see the kindness of the Lord at work in those years. His patience, His providence, and His gentle, persistent leading that was drawing me toward true repentance. It was His grace, not my striving, that pursued me.
(Ephesians 2:1-10 NASB) And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
After graduating from Auburn, I worked as a sports reporter for an NBC affiliate in Montgomery, Alabama. Although I enjoyed the work, I had a deep restlessness in my soul. In the Lord’s providence, it was during that season that He began directing my heart toward pastoral ministry. Lacking formal theological training, I returned home to Birmingham, trusting that God would order my steps. There, the Lord brought Rhiannon into my life, and we were later married. I began pursuing ministry studies, and in 1998 the Lord opened the door for me to serve as a youth pastor. Following God’s will for our lives has been a remarkable journey of His grace and guidance. It is one of my greatest joys to help those who are in Christ, grow in their walk of serving Christ and others."
Sean in ministry:
Sean served as a youth pastor from 1998-2004. He helped start a multi-site church location in Auburn, Alabama and served as the campus pastor of that church from 2007-2010. Sean worked for a church planting organization as Director of Church Planting from 2010-2014. In 2014, he became an Executive Pastor of a large multi-site church (Church of the Highlands) in Alabama where he received his Ordination for Ministry. Sean is currently pursing his Masters of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary.
Sean and his family moved to Franklin in March of 2016 and along with five other families and a handful of college graduates. This group of 35 adults and kids, gathered together for their first service in Freedom Intermediate School in August of 2016. Currently, more than 450 adults and kids call 5 Stones Church, their church family.