San Diego, California

You did not choose Me but I chose you and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.   John 15:16

Most people would be surprised to know that I (Gene) was a cheerleader in high school and that Marilyn was a shy introvert. In fact, we were so different that people gave our marriage only six months. That was in 1969 and we're still going strong!! Before joining The Navigators, I (Gene) was a sales manager for International Harvester and Marilyn was taking care of our firstborn, Michelle.

Our first contact with The Navigators came when we met Terry and Carol Taylor, the former U.S. President of The Navigators, in 1970. They encouraged us to get involved in a Bible study on Friday nights. At this study, Marilyn became a Christian and I began to walk more closely with the Lord after being a babe in Christ for many years.

In 1976, after receiving ministry training at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, we became full-time staff and then moved on to serve at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. We have since ministered to Naval officers in San Diego, on Guam and at Naval Station Long Beach; Air Force personnel at McClellean AFB and presently with Marines in San Diego since 1998.

Two of the main areas of focus for us in the U. S. Military Mission are Regional Shepherd Leaders and Sabbatical Coordinators. We are currently responsible to shepherd full-time and part-time Navigator staff in California and Nevada. Most of our staff live in the San Diego area but some are located as far north as Monterey and Coleville (on the east side near Nevada). In addition, as staff are thinking about a sabbatical, we are involved in the process of helping them get started.

Marilyn is strongly partnering with me in the Sabbatical Coordinator role as well as that of Regional Shepherd Leader. She is also mentoring and shepherding women near and afar.