Pastor Bruce was raised in Grinnell, Iowa, in a family who attended Calvary Baptist Church, and was taught to love the Lord and His Word. After high school, he chose to attend a year of Bible college in preparation for a lifetime of service as a layman, prior to attending college and medical school with the goal of becoming an optometrist. God changed his mind, directing him into the ministry, and as Pastor Bruce says, “I get to help people see spiritually instead of physically.” He graduated from Denver Baptist Bible College, and holds a Master of Divinity from Denver Baptist Theological Seminary.
Pastor Bruce and his wife, Sharon, met at Iowa Regular Baptist Camp in Clear Lake, Iowa, and they certainly have a love for youth and family Bible camping. He expands that almost yearly to lead a wilderness trip in a variety of mountainous regions, open to our own church family as well as others in the area. He has served as our pastor since 2014. He and his wife count it a privilege to live and minister in Pella and the surrounding area, with Sharon giving much of her time to music and hospitality. They have three sons and daughters-in-law and a growing family of much-loved grandchildren.