First Baptist Church of Mandan

BIOGRAPHY                       

Allen:  Born - January 18, 1967, Anderson, South Carolina.

Allen is married to his wife Becky, a native of Mandan, ND.  They have three sons: Ben, John and Eli. 

EDUCATION

• Master of Divinity, May 2000 – Magna Cum Laude  Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Kansas.
• Master of Arts in Religious Studies, May 2000 – Magna Cum Laude  Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Kansas.
• Master of Arts in Christian Education, December 1993.  The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.
• Bachelor of Arts in Religion, December 1989. Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina.

MINISTERIAL EXPERIENCE

Pastor, Shiloh UMC and Mt. Zion UMC, Maryland, July 2007 – June 2010.

Pastor, First Baptist Church, Spindale, North Carolina, Dec. 2003 – June 2007.

Pastor, Chesterfield Baptist Church, Chesterfield, South Carolina, Oct. 2000 – Dec. 2003.

Pastor, Cambria Baptist Church, Corydon Iowa, June 1998 – Oct. 2000 (student pastorate)

Coordinator, North Central Region, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Aug. 1998 – Oct. 2000.

Minister of Youth and Education, Ashworth Road Baptist Church, West Des Moines, Iowa, Nov. 1996 - June 1998 .

Chaplain Resident, University Medical Center, Jacksonville, Florida, Aug. 1995 – Sep.1996.

Associate Minister of Youth and Education, Riverside Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Florida.  December 1993  - August 1995.

ORDINATION

Ordained by Boulevard Baptist Church, Anderson, South Carolina, March 22, 1992.

AWARDS/MERITS

The Philip Wendell Crannell Award for Excellence in Preaching, Central Baptist Theological Seminary, May 20, 2000

President, Spindale Ministerial Association, Dec. 2004 – February 2007.

Member, Associate Coordinating Council, Inheritor’s Committee, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina, 2001 – 2003, Baptist Principles Committee, 2003.

Member, Board of Directors, Mainstream Baptists of South Carolina, 2001 – 2003.  Author of numerous articles for the national newsletters of Mainstream Baptists network and Texas Baptists Committed. (See www.mainstreambaptists.org)

Association Consultation Team (A.C.T.) member, Youth Ministry Consultation, Baptist Convention of Iowa, 1998.

South Carolina Southern Baptist Youth Speaker's Tournament - First Place, 1985.  Represented South Carolina at National Conference, Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center, 1985.

INTERESTS

Football, Comedy, Sports, Dogs, Music, Movies, Writing, Gaming, Reading.