Gary is the founder, President, and Principal Consultant for Ministry By Design, the premier organization committed to assisting churches and other organizations in designing ministries that effectively transform lives in the name of Christ. He began his career working in various aspects of the heavy construction and natural gas industries, gaining expertise in pipeline construction, material handling, telecommunications, payroll and tax processing, and human resources, organizational development, and training. Following 17 years of experience in these areas, Gary followed a calling into full-time ministry.
Gary's initial ministry calling was to serve his local church in Houston by leading support groups in several disciplines. The next several years saw increasing pastoral responsibilities across various capacities in volunteer recruitment, single-adult ministries, assimilation, missions and outreach, stewardship, and adult ministries. Subsequent assignments added a portfolio that included additional responsibilities for men's and women's ministries, as well as couples and marriage ministries. During an assignment at a megachurch in Texas, Gary led a team that developed a comprehensive ministry plan for marriages, a model that any church, of any size, can effectively adopt for its needs. The creation of Hartwood Ministries, a non-profit ministry dedicated to helping churches in a number of areas, followed shortly after the development of the marriage ministry project. This non-profit organization was then the forerunner of Ministry By Design, which builds on what the previous incarnations started. Much of the expertise gained in ministry design, development, and implementation has been compiled in a series of volumes titled Ministry by Design. The first three books of the multi-volume series are now considered Legacy editions. As of January 2026, 16 Volumes in the Series have been published. See the Products & Publications page for more information on this series.
Gary's passions include promoting strong marriages, families, and churches worldwide. He believes the family must be structured and led on the foundation of a strong marriage between a man and a woman, both committed to each other through their Biblical values. He also believes the church should be structured on the foundation of Christ, with strong marriages and families at its center.
Gary earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Houston; he earned his D.Min. in Pastoral Leadership in 2025. Gary and his lovely and wonderful wife, Aimee, reside in North Texas. Their oldest son, Stephen, is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and is currently a professional pilot training other pilots. Their youngest son, Nathan, has completed his college work in Communications at the University of Arkansas.
