Eric is a native of Midlothian, VA, on the south side of Richmond. He was raised in the church and baptized as a high school senior. Shortly thereafter, as a young believer, he left home to attend the University of Virginia, where the Lord immediately and providentially guided him to Cru (then called Campus Crusade for Christ). Through Cru’s leadership development, Eric was trained as a small group leader, went on his first overseas mission trip (Shanghai, China), and raised financial support to serve as a part-time Cru staff member during his fourth year of college. It was during his time with Cru that Eric first experienced the joy of heralding the gospel to the lost.

Importantly, it was also in Cru at UVA that Eric met his wife, Carmen, to whom he has been married since 2011. Together, they have four children - Eric III (age 9), Rudy (7), Elaine (5), and Millie (3). After a short stint in Northern Virginia, Eric and Carmen returned to Carmen’s childhood home, Hanover County, in 2017 and have called Ashland home ever since. Eric has been a member of Vertical Church in Short Pump since 2020, has served as a Community Group leader since 2021, and was ordained as a pastor in 2023.

During the pastoral training process, Eric discerned the call to plant a church in Ashland after seeing a growing number of Vertical members commuting from Western Hanover and observing the dearth of gospel-centered churches in the town. Professionally, he spent the past 12 years as the vice president of a small marketing agency based in Leesburg, VA specializing in online fundraising for nonprofit organizations. He left that position in June of 2024 to serve Cornerstone Church in a full-time capacity.