Dan was born to missionary parents in Fortaleza, Brazil. During his formative years he lived in British Columbia (Canada), Washington and Illinois. Although he has been involved in ministry since 1978, along the way Dan also gained experience as a forklift operator, painting contractor, and warehouse supervisor. He became a Christian during his first year of college, having attended a Christian college at the insistence of his parents (Praise God!).

He graduated from Cedarville University (Ohio) in 1975 with majors in History and Interdisciplinary Studies, and a minor in Bible. It was at Cedarville that Dan met and married Susan who graduated with degrees in Christian Education and Psychology. Susan was from a military family and had sensed a call to missions from a young age. Dan then attended the University of Dayton, receiving his MA in American History in 1977. Susan also continued on to graduate school, receiving her MA in Special Education in 1977. In 1978, Dan accepted a position as Assistant Professor of History with Washington Baptist Teachers College in Tacoma, WA. While in Tacoma, he studied Greek at Western Reformed Seminary and was active in his church as a Bible teacher and lay preacher. Susan also taught as time and a growing family allowed. Ministry in Christian Education continued to be their theme for the next few years, as Dan and Susan taught in a Christian school in California and, in 1987, helped establish another Christian school in Webster, NY.

In 1990, the Lord led them to Atlanta, GA, where Dan became the Headmaster of Harvester Christian Academy, a ministry of Harvester Presbyterian Church, PCA. The pastor of the church at that time was Rev. Don Mountan, later the founder of ELI. While at Harvester, Dan began his PhD studies at Georgia State University. Ordained as a pastor in 1997, Dan was called as the Associate Pastor of Harvester Presbyterian.

Dan became the pastor of First Presbyterian Church, PCA in Summerville, GA in 1998, and in 2000 received his PhD in English Reformation History. For the next several years Dan also served as a visiting instructor of Church History for Reformed Theological Seminary, Atlanta.

It was through Don Mountan that Dan came into first-hand contact with training leaders in developing nations. Initially, he traveled to Uganda with Don and Merril in the summer of 2002 and was convinced of the tremendous need for training pastors in the developing world. In God’s wise providence, Dan was later privileged to make a trip to Ghana in 2005. This trip confirmed to him God’s call to be engaged in training Christian leaders full-time. He resigned his pastorate and, after a few years with a sister agency, Dan became one of the founding members of Equipping Leaders International in 2008.

Since 2009, Dan has served jointly with ELI, and as an Associate Pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, TN. Through ELI, Dan continues his work in Ghana, and has had numerous opportunities to travel and teach in locations around the world, most recently in Bolivia.

Dan and Susan have been married for over 47 years, and the Lord has graciously given them four children and six grandchildren.