Jesus. Period.

Dane’s life calling is to dive deep into the unspeakable heart of Jesus for sinners and sufferers, and to invite others to enjoy that boundless ocean with him.

He grew up all over the place including California, Scotland, Oregon, and Illinois, before winding up at Wheaton College. After completing a BA in Bible/Theology (2001) he got married to the love of his life, Stacey, and they moved to Connecticut to teach at a Christian high school.

A love for the Bible and call to ministry brought them to Covenant Theological Seminary (MDiv ’05, ThM ’07), where he saw firsthand what it looks like for the doctrines of grace to create a culture of grace. It’s marked him for life.

He couldn’t get enough of the reading and writing about the Bible so he returned to Wheaton for a PhD in New Testament (2010), studying Paul’s theology under Doug Moo.

That funneled into a decade in the publishing world, spending ten years at Crossway in Wheaton. He worked mainly on the ESV Bible and related resources, eventually serving as Chief Publishing Officer and overseeing the books too. It was an immense privilege serving this important ministry, and on the side he got to teach, preach, disciple Wheaton students, and travel the world. What a hoot!

The Lord’s leading eventually led into fulltime ministry in the local church, and in an unexpected series of providences Dane found himself being summoned to the pastorate by the church he and his family had been a part of for 13 years, Naperville Presbyterian Church. He was ordained on October 4, 2020. He’s having a blast building a gospel culture at NPC alongside his fellow leaders in the church.

As part of his broader ministry Dane loves writing books and speaking to fellow sinner-saints. A few of his recent books are Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners (Crossway, 2021) and Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers (Crossway, 2020). His speaking ministry has taken him in recent years to the Philippines, India, Ghana, Zambia, Switzerland, South Africa, and throughout the US. What a blast.

The main earthly passion of his life, however, is his family—his wife, Stacey, and their five kids, Zach, Nate, Jeremiah, Chloe, and Ben. And fishing. Can’t forget fishing.

What an unspeakable joy to be safe in Christ, eternally invincible, loved and forgiven, and walking alongside men and women as we journey toward heaven.

Jesus. Period!