Personal Testimony

This sermon, Psalm 78: “Share the Gospel,” includes my personal testimony. The Gospel infographic I use is at the bottom of this page.

Childhood

I grew up in the suburbs of Wilmington, Delaware, raised by my father, J. A. Leo Lemay, a professor of Early American Literature, and my mother, Ann Clarke Lemay, a real estate agent. However, my grandmother, Muriel Clarke, had the greatest spiritual influence on my childhood. Throughout my life, my father wanted nothing to do with the church, even though there is a cherished photograph of my parents kneeling before the cross on their wedding day. My mother generally followed his lead, but my grandmother faithfully ensured that she attended Grace United Methodist Church each Sunday and brought her children with her.

As a result, I grew up in the United Methodist Church, where I was baptized and later confirmed. I memorized the Lord's Prayer and have fond memories of the beautiful stained-glass windows and magnificent pipe organ. To this day, I love traditional hymns, and one reason I cherish the Christmas season is that it is the one time each year I can fully enjoy them. Yet while my grandmother faithfully brought me to church, faith rarely extended into our home. There was little discussion of Jesus, God, or the Bible, and I never developed the habits of prayer, Bible reading, or pursuing a personal relationship with Christ. Looking back, I am deeply grateful for my grandmother's faithful example, even though she never spoke with me about her own faith or intentionally taught me spiritual disciplines.

As a boy, I loved the outdoors and joined the Boy Scouts, where I earned the rank of Eagle Scout and developed a close relationship with our scoutmaster, Dr. Harke. A graduate of the United States Military Academy and former Army Ranger, he became an important mentor. Under his guidance, my interest in joining the Army gradually matured into a desire to become an officer and ultimately to attend the United States Military Academy.

Army

I graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1997 and was commissioned as an infantry officer. During twenty-five years in the Army, I served two combat tours in Afghanistan, two in Iraq, and four additional overseas tours. Yet the most important transformation of those years was not professional but spiritual: through hardship and through meeting my future wife, Tara, I began to move from being a “dog tag Christian” to becoming a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ.

When I entered the Army, I was asked to identify my religion. I answered “Methodist,” and that designation was printed on my dog tags. For many years, that was about the extent of my Christian identity. I was deeply committed to accomplishing the Army’s missions and obeying its regulations, and my sense of self became rooted primarily in being a Soldier. At the same time, I was not pursuing a relationship with Christ, attending church, or demonstrating love for Him through obedience to His commands (John 14:15, 21, 23).

The primary time I sought God was during hardship. I turned to Him during Ranger School, but after graduation I quickly returned to living on my own terms. During my 2005–2006 deployment to Iraq, I again asked God to strengthen me, yet once the tour ended, my attention shifted back to the world.

In 2007, I was assigned to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where I met Tara. She was working as a Senate staffer and participated in a strong Bible study with a group of godly women. One of them, Missy, was studying peace operations with me at George Mason University and introduced us. I was immediately drawn to Tara and wanted to date her, but she declined. For the first time, I encountered someone whose relationship with Christ genuinely shaped every major decision in her life. Missy eventually explained that Tara’s relationship with Jesus was the most important relationship in her life and that she was not interested in dating someone who did not share a deep and personal commitment to Christ.

Tara’s conviction gave me much to consider. I began attending church and exploring what it meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus, but I was still not living in obedience to His commands or spending consistent time with Him.

In 2011, I deployed to Afghanistan for my second and most difficult combat tour. I stood beside one of my Soldiers as he died from his wounds. That experience, together with the weight of combat leadership, forced me to confront my own mortality and my need for Christ. During that deployment, I again turned to God for comfort. At night, strict light discipline left the sky exceptionally dark, and the stars over Afghanistan seemed startlingly close and vivid. In those quiet moments, God reminded me of His greatness, presence, and faithfulness, and He gave me the strength to continue doing the work the Army required of me.

When I returned from Afghanistan, I was overcome by a deep sense of hypocrisy. I had repeatedly turned to God in hardship but ignored Him in times of comfort. I resolved to follow Jesus wholeheartedly and live in obedience to His commands. I began reading the Bible consistently and participating in formal Bible studies.

In 2013, Tara left her position on the Senate staff, and I hosted her and her mother, Jackie, as they traveled from Washington to Fort Collins. With Jackie’s encouragement, Tara and I began dating, and we were married on November 15, 2014. Four years and two additional combat tours later, I retired from the Army.

Seminary

Because Tara is from Colorado, I requested Fort Carson as our final Army assignment. Shortly after moving to Colorado Springs, we joined Mountain Springs Church, where we met Mike Schmid, a Navigator who invited us to join his Bible study. Mike modeled what it looked like to walk daily with Christ through a consistent quiet time and thoughtful Bible study. Before long, he and I were meeting weekly for one-on-one discipleship, and Tara and I eventually began leading one of his small groups and helping organize his discipleship ministry at Mountain Springs Church.

Mike encouraged me to pursue theological education at Denver Seminary and served as my Theological Mentor during my first two years. While I was a student, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and eventually passed away. Yet throughout his long illness, Mike continued to disciple me. His life—and even his death—demonstrated that a deep relationship with Jesus Christ gives purpose, hope, and peace in every season.

During my terminal leave from the Army, Tara, Eva, Luke, and I took a month-long cross-country camping trip through America's national parks. That journey sparked a lasting love of God's creation, and today our family is working toward visiting all 63 national parks together. Along the way, I have begun journaling through the Psalms while visiting many of these remarkable places.

Seminary was a wonderful season of spiritual growth that Tara and I shared together, as she audited at least one class with me each semester. I graduated with honors this past May and am now actively involved at Cathedral Rock Church, an Evangelical Free Church of America congregation.

God has also shaped my walk with Him through a consistent morning quiet time. Each day, I read a chapter of the Bible devotionally and journal using the Journey of the Heart Bible Journaling method. This summer, I am leading our family through the book of Acts during our daily devotions, helping them learn to study Scripture, reflect on its meaning, and respond to God together.

Looking Ahead

I believe God has called me to serve the church through faithful preaching, relational shepherding, intentional discipleship, and the development of leaders who will help others follow Christ. I am seeking a pastoral role in which I can proclaim God’s Word, care for people through the ordinary joys and hardships of life, and help build a healthy, Christ-centered congregation.

I am committed to being the kind of pastor who is grounded in Scripture, present with people, humble enough to keep learning, and faithful in both public ministry and unseen service. Whatever experience, education, or ability I bring is not sufficient on its own. I am dependent upon God’s grace, the work of the Holy Spirit, the wisdom of fellow leaders, and the prayers and gifts of the congregation I am called to serve.