Born in 1958 Pastor Terry was raised in Albuquerque, NM and after graduating from High School served in the Navy from 1976-1980. Pastor Terry looks back on his childhood where he “… grew up in church and at an early age gave my life to Christ. I guess I’ve always known He loves me and today I love Him more than I ever have.”

In the spring of 1984 Pastor Terry, through a series of God orchestrated events, was led to Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Tx. There began a wonderful beginning of ministry in his life. In that first semester he met the love of his life, Calinia Barberg and in December of 1985 they were married in Cokato, Minnesota where Calinia was raised. “Without her in my life it would be impossible to serve in the ministry. She brings a freshness, and a balance to my straight ahead approach.” They both graduated with Associates Degrees in Theology from CFNI in 1986.

Today Terry and Calinia have three children, Isaac (21), Savannah (19), and Mystaya (17). Isaac and Savannah have graduated from Home School and are continuing their educations in Albuquerque. Mystaya hopes to graduate in 2008. The family moved to the East Mountain area, just east of Albuquerque, NM in 1990. In the fall of 1996 they began to attend CCEM.

In October of 1999 Pastor Terry was approached by the founding pastor of CCEM, Wayne Webb, and asked if he would consider taking on the role of Senior Pastor at CCEM. Pastor Wayne was looking at retirement and a relocation of his family to Kansas and has since done so and needed someone to continue the work of the church. At the time Terry was leading worship at CCEM and in charge of the logistics of the church which was meeting at South Mountain Elementary School.

Preparation for the ministry wasn't an expected thing for him, “Jesus did some weird things in my life to prepare me for the ministry. Three years of Saturday afternoons spent setting up 75 chairs and sound equipment and then tearing it all down again after the services didn't really feel like ministry preparation, but it was.”

The Lord also began to change his heart where the welfare of other's in the church was concerned, particularly those who had visited, or were absent from the church. “I was traveling during the week back then on business, and while in my hotel room I would just have a burning desire to call the new people and welcome them to the church, or call those who I could remember were absent that week to see if they had a need I could pray for. It was a change of heart that I couldn't explain, and now I know it was the Lord putting a shepherd's heart in me.”

Agreeing to take on the role of Senior Pastor, the Lord began to shape a vision for the church. It was time to build and leave the temporary housing of the school. Pastor Terry looks back on those days in school with fondness, “I wouldn't trade one of those Sunday's for anything. The church was small and intimate and we enjoyed each other's company so much. Those were days in which our faith was stretched and our hearts were encouraged.”

In a year's time a new facility was built on the 10 acres the church had purchased a couple of years before, and in September of 2000 the church held it's first service in the new building.

It wasn't very long before the church grew to 2 services and the need for willing workers became critical. Pastor Terry chuckles that “We prayed that the Lord would send new growth, and He did! But we forgot to pray for help with all the new growth.” With much help from the Holy Spirit the workers began to immerge and today a larger than average percentage of the church is actively participating in some capacity of servanthood, “This is something I not only marvel at, but am humbled by. We are privileged to serve alongside such caring and loving people.”

As time went on the church continued to grow to capacity and 3 services. “Our children’s department was overflowing 3 times on Sunday. We had to build again,” Terry remembers. In May of 2004 the church broke ground on a 12,000 sq. ft. sanctuary and fellowship hall which now seats over 700. As an added blessing the Lord saw fit to bless the church with 20 additional acres. Pastor Terry muses, “It has peaked my curiosity as to what the Lord might have in store for His 30 acres. It is a joy to be a part of whatever it is Jesus wants to do with us.”

Ministry to God's people has become more than Pastor Terry ever thought it would be, “I never realized how blessed a man can be through a teaching ministry.” Following in the Calvary Chapel model of expository preaching, Pastor Terry teaches his congregation through entire books of the Bible teaching the whole counsel of God. “I thank the Lord for giving Pastor Chuck Smith the vision for this type of teaching. It helps so much, those of us who are just starting out, to stay the course and remain true to the focus on scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit in the study of God's Word.”

Pastor Terry's prayer is that each member of CCEM will mature and grow in the grace and admonition of the Lord, and whose lives will effectively communicate the gospel and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ through deed, and in word. The result will be a community and a world that has heard and seen the gospel of love and had the opportunity to respond to it.