CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACKET - Ryan Fields

Rev. Christopher Ryan Fields 731 Hinman Ave., Apt. 3W Evanston, IL 60202 Phone: (904) 707-553 Email: ryanfields84@gmail.com

MY STORY: By God’s grace I was born to parents who loved me and took me to a church which taught me the stories of the Bible from an early age; however, I grew up not having a relationship with God through Christ by the Spirit. In middle school my lost state began to manifest in a lifestyle of rebellion and selfishness. But in ninth grade the Lord powerfully intervened, using the ministry of a new youth pastor to introduce me to Jesus. This pastor made the gospel message clear to me and taught me what the Christian faith was really all about. Under his teaching and through my own reading of the New Testament God graciously revealed himself to me and enabled me to believe that I was a sinner in need of a savior, and that Christ had died and risen so that I might be saved from sin and death; this was my conversion to Christ, brought about by the Spirit to the glory of God alone. Since my conversion God has been at work in my life to conform me more and more into Christ’s likeness. I am learning what it means, slowly but surely, to live as a child of God rather than a slave to sin. MY FAMILY: God has shown himself faithful in my life by providing me with a lovely wife to be in ministry with. Emily is an exceptional woman: beautiful, intelligent, sociable and spiritually mature. She is in complete support of my calling to pastoral ministry and is excited about where the Lord will lead us to serve. She has made an incredible “pastor’s wife” in so many ways, particularly in the love and encouragement she has provided to me in ministry. Emily's background in social work has been an amazing complement to my pastoral training; she loves to minister to church members alongside of me, whether it be for home/hospital visitation or by having people into our home and enabling a wonderful ministry of hospitality. Beyond all these things, my wife does an amazing job cultivating our home into a place of flourishing for us and for our three daughters (Penelope, age 6; Amelie, age 3; Madeline, age 1). MY EDUCATION: ‐ Ph.D. in Theological Studies, concentration in Systematic Theology (Pending), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) ‐ Th.M., concentration in Systematic Theology (2011), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School ‐ M.Div. with Pastor/Teacher and Pastoral Care concentrations (2011), graduated Summa Cum Laude, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School ‐ B.A. in Religion, Minors in History & Philosophy (2006), graduated Summa Cum Laude and Co ‐ Valedictorian, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida (UF)

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