Pastor JR grew up on the East Coast in a non-Christian home where football and wrestling were the center of his life. He graduated from Wesleyan University and started searching for meaning in life. This took him on a circuitous journey of drugs, new age mentality and travel throughout the Middle East. JR became a Zen Buddhist during this time, heading the Monterey Zen Center. At 28 years old, he received Jesus Christ and saw a dramatic change in his life. A year and a half later he received a full scholarship from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Upon graduation, JR pastored his first church in Grand Lake, Colorado. God moved powerfully during these 6 years and the church grew from 30 to 250 in weekly attendance, in a town of 500. Within the congregation seventeen people went into full-time ministry. Since then, Pastor JR was a single parent, ran a Christian high school, became the salesman of the year for a Denver-based company and came to The Rock in 1988.

The Rock has grown from 70 to 1500 weekly attendees and recently moved into a new facility on 53 acres. Thousands have given their lives to Jesus; many have been healed; many have found community in a safe place where transparency is encouraged. Pastor JR has ministered in China several times, Russia, Nigeria, Haiti, Mexico, Israel, the Philippines, India, and speaks often at YWAM bases and around the country at conferences and churches.

Pastor JR and Yvonne live in Castle Rock. They have two children: Mike (and his wife Kristi and baby Katelyn) and Anna (and her husband John) who all live in the vicinity. Pastor JR and Yvonne welcome you to The Rock