Paul was born and raised in southern Illinois, a Midwesterner, a lifelong Presbyterian, ordained an Elder while in high school.  He graduated with a B.A. from Wake Forest University and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans.  He worked a first career for 12 years in city-county government in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Sensing a call to ordained ministry, Paul and his family relocated to Richmond, Virginia where he began his seminary education at Union Presbyterian Theological Seminary.  He has served calls as an Associate Pastor at St. Charles Avenue PC in New Orleans, as a Solo Pastor at First PC in Mocksville, North Carolina, and as an Executive Pastor at Preston Hollow PC in Dallas, Texas.  He completed a Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological in Decatur, Georgia.

Paul is married to Kathy his loving partner of over 30 years. They have three grown empty-nesters: Stuart, Cora, and Amy. For joy, Paul loves homebrewing, smoking meat, whacking the little white ball, and unskilled home improvement projects.