Both Tom and Patty have had a heart to serve in Uganda since the Lord called them to a life in the ministry of biblical soul care. Being local Southern Californians, Tom and Patty faithfully serve at a church in San Diego where Tom is the pastor of Counseling and Discipleship and Patty serves playing the guitar and as a women\u2019s Bible study teacher. Their passion for ministry at home matches one of their hearts\u2019 greatest desires, to see the ministry of the Word taught to local pastors in Uganda so their churches are strengthened and more lives are brought to Christ. Since 2014, they have travelled to Uganda with BCM Worldwide (BCMW) 10 times to train trainers of biblical counseling and have watched how suffering people receive the joy that only the Word of God can bring.<\/p>\n
Tom\u2019s and Patty\u2019s lives were both transformed by the gospel after they got saved in their thirties. Tom had been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, and, out of despair, he stumbled into an evangelical church where four week<\/span>s<\/ins> later he understood the message of the gospel and placed his faith and trust in Christ. He often tells people, in reference to his testimony, \u201cGod brought the worst thing in my life to bring me to the best thing in my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Patty\u2019s story began inside a church, yet not one that faithfully taught the Word. She was raised in a religion similar to the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses called Christadelphian, yet after her own study of the Word she began to question the idea of being saved by works instead of grace. This idea challenged her so much that once she sought answers to her questions, she was led straight to the gospel where she saw her greatest need to be Christ\u2019s forgiveness as a free gift instead of a prize to be acquired through hard work.<\/p>\n Eventually, Tom and Patty began attending the same church. Now, nineteen years later, they\u2019ve enjoyed a marriage together where they are focused on the ministry of bringing soul care to churches internationally. Tom had discovered the ministry of biblical counseling through a book entitled, How to Counsel God\u2019s Way<\/em> by Robert Hoekstra. Tom had a desire to care for people in the local church. He did not plan to become a counselor, but people would ask to meet with him; and he was eventually asked by church leadership to be trained to serve as a biblical counselor.<\/p>\n