A Brief Autobiography

I was raised on a small hog farm in East-Central Indiana. I graduated from Jay County High School in Portland in 1981. I attended college at Ball State studying Political Science when I felt called to the ministry. I transferred to Taylor University and graduated from there in 1985 with a major in Biblical Studies. Upon graduation I took a job as Youth Pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Lapel, Indiana. While I was serving there I met Shannon. We were married in 1987. Shannon and I have one daughter, Molly, who is 20 years old. We also have a "foster" daughter, KaSandra (Kay) who has five children. I went to seminary at Anderson School of Theology and was ordained an elder in Indiana in 1992.

In the following years I have served the following United Methodist Churches; Summitville, Russiaville, Decatur St Mark's, Warren, Elwood First, Howe and Pretty Prairie. I have currently been serving Howe and Pretty Prairie for 10 years.

During my time in the ministry I have been very involved in the camping program in our conference. I have served as director of elementary and middle school camps, and I have served as a dean for High School Institute. I have also led several mission trips (mostly with young people) to Jamaica, US Appalachia and inner-city Indiana. I am currently very involved with mission work in Uganda where I served in 2007.

Additionally, I have done some writing. I have published Vacation Bible School curriculum for Cokesbury and Bristol House. I am currently "editing" a series for Bristol House called, "The Story of the Old Testament."

There are three things that I try focus on in ministry; 1)Teaching the Bible and helping people to understand and love the Bible, 2) Renewing worship, especially within the United Methodist Church, and 3) Raising up leadership in the church, especially among young people.

Let's get to know each other. You can friend me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/revdewey. Or you can send me an email atrevdewey@gmail.com or call 260/562-2260 (home) or 260/336-2148 (cell). If you are interested you can check out a couple of blogs that I keep (with varying degrees of regularity). I post sermons, outlines and notes to http://leadership1234.blogspot.com/, and miscellaneous thoughts and reflections to http://revdeweysworld.blogspot.com/.