Jan and Dottie come to ELI after serving in two fantastic careers in the Navy and in Pastoral ministry. Jan and Dottie were married in August 1977 in Pensacola, FL. After serving in the Navy for 12 years as a flight officer, they moved to Jackson, MS in August 1984 to attend Reformed Theological Seminary. After a wonderful ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, they returned to a naval career – this time, Jan would serve as a Naval Chaplain for 12 years. When they received their last set of orders to the Naval Hospital at NAS Jacksonville, FL, Jan retired from Naval service and served as associate pastor at Christ Church in Jacksonville, FL; Christ Community in Walnut Creek; Cross Creek Church in St. Johns, FL; and Marco Presbyterian in Marco Island, FL.
An added benefit of ministering through ELI is the fact that they will be able to live in Ponte Vedra, FL and be 30 minutes away from their son, Matthew, his wife, Michelle, and their grandsons, Carter and Graham.
A few things that have marked Jan’s ministry over the years have been a passion to fulfill the Great Commission through local and world missions, connect people in vibrant small groups, and see the church serve, not only, those in the church, but in the community as well.
If there was a single event that proved God’s eternal love and sustaining grace over the years of ministry, it would be the death of their daughter, Jana, in a traffic accident on July 31, 2005. Jana came to love Christ at a young age and the verse that rings so true is Philippians 1:21 – “to live is Christ and to die is gain.”