Editor’s Note: Earlier this year, Rick Melson joined Mars Hill Church to lead the Campus Network and launch the Resurgence Training Center. As the newest Executive Elder, Pastor Rick will also be a regular contributor to the Mars Hill Blog.

TIME recently identified John Piper, Mark Driscoll, and Albert Mohler as the leaders of “New Calvinism”–number three on the magazine’s “most important ideas that are changing the world” list. This article was particularly interesting to me, as I have had the privilege of serving with each of these men.

Growing Up in Grace

Long before all of that, however, I grew up outside of Dayton, OH. My parents led me to Christ as a child and raised me in a Southern Baptist church. When I was fourteen, God began to incline my heart to pastoral ministry and by age 17, I gave my life to full-time Christian service.

I met my wife, Tammy, at about the same time, and we were married at age 19 and began a life of ministry that has been an amazing evidence of God’s grace to us. I am so grateful for my wife, for my Christian parents, and for the faithful servants at my “home” church where I was saved, baptized, accepted a call to ministry, and married to my wife of over 20 years.

Educated in Truth

When I gave my life to serve Jesus in pastoral ministry, I knew I wanted to attend seminary to gain the biblical and theological training for a life of ministry.

I arrived at Southern Seminary in 1991. During my second year of seminary, Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., became president of the school. By God’s grace, I met Al Mohler on his very first day as president elect, and my life would never be the same.

During Dr. Mohler’s first five years as president, I was appointed Director of Admissions and Student Recruitment and traveled extensively with him to numerous conferences, churches, and institutions.

At the conclusion of my seminary studies, God blessed Tammy and I with our first child and a second soon thereafter. Nine years later, God granted us a third child, which has proven to be a great way to stay young. Tammy and I greatly enjoy spending time with our three children and feel blessed that God has given them to us to steward.

Serving in the Church

After seminary, I decided to fulfill my call to the local church. I served in various pastoral roles in churches across the country, including Bethlehem Baptist where I was a campus pastor (among other things) under the leadership of John Piper.

After tenures in Minnesota, Ohio, Alabama, Texas, and South Carolina, God finally brought me to Seattle, where I now serve as an Executive Elder of Mars Hill Church. I am humbled as I consider the opportunities I have been given to serve Jesus and learn from godly men:

• Al Mohler led me to become a Biblicist with a high view of Scripture. Dr. Mohler has been a mentor, advisor, and friend for over 15 years and I am deeply grateful for his leadership and theological influence in my life.
• Steve Lawson, with whom I served in Alabama, planted in me a love and passion for biblical exposition. He serves as one of the greatest examples of expository preaching in the evangelical world.
• John Piper led me to a well of soul-satisfying joy in treasuring Jesus—God is truly most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. I am grateful for the faithful friendship that God has given me in John Piper.
• Mark Driscoll has led me to become a missional leader in a movement that is all about Jesus. I count it a joy to serve with Mark in fulfilling the global vision of Mars Hill.

Welcomed in Mars Hill Church

My role at Mars Hill is to oversee the Campus Network branch, which includes the ongoing development of new and existing campuses. This role will allow me to visit all of our various campuses, so I hope to meet many of you along the way.

I’m also in charge of launching our Resurgence Training Center (Re:Train), which will open this fall (look for details this Sunday at theresurgence.com).

God has literally taken me across an entire continent to arrive in the great city of Seattle and the community of Mars Hill Church; I am honored and blessed to serve as one of your pastors.