Meet Nick Alford: RBS Dean's Assistant

I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and enjoyed all that region has to offer, from hiking and fishing in the various mountain ranges to spending time in Seattle following the local sports and music scene. My parents were Christians and we were raised with the church as a central part of our lives and the gospel as a basic fact of reality. Although I confessed faith in Christ at an early age, I was not immune to the struggles and temptations of everyday life.  People encountering me in my younger years might have had a very different impression of my Christianity, depending on the season in which we interacted.  Through all those days the Lord was completely faithful even when I was faithless, and He eventually brought me to a place of greater focus on the absolute sufficiency of Christ.  I came to see and to cherish the truth that the gospel is not just the ticket into the kingdom, it is the constant source and motivation of the Christian's faith, hope and life.  That truth has made all the difference.

For the first eleven years of my working life I was privileged to be a part of a family business, building homes and managing other general contracting projects alongside my Dad and Brother.  I am thankful beyond words for my marriage to Shelby, the greatest wife I could imagine.  We are seeking to raise our three young kids to love the Lord, His Word, His church, and to have a heart for the mission of God in the world.

From 2007-2012 we helped to plant Free Grace Baptist Church in Bremerton, WA, where I was humbled to serve as a regular teacher and preacher.   Through this work the Lord laid on my heart a burden for His flock, the ministry of the Word, and for the various ways the gospel meets the deepest needs of the broken human condition.  I enrolled as a student with Reformed Baptist Seminary, and am in the midst of completing my theological training through the various online and live module classes offered.  These studies have been both personally enriching and immensely practical as I have had opportunity to minister in Christ's church.

In January of 2013 my family of five loaded up our minivan and drove across the country to take up residence in Greenville, SC.  I am currently serving an extended pastoral internship with Grace Baptist Church of Taylors, and also serving as an assistant to the Dean of Reformed Baptist Seminary.  This move was made in preparation for answering the call of God into more focused gospel labors.  We are thankful for His grace in a million ways, particularly through the generosity of the saints back in Bremerton who helped send us out, the hospitality of the saints in Greenville who have made us feel so welcome, and the relationships we have with family on the West Coast which transcend geographic distance.

We are excited to see where the Lord leads us, thankful for his kind provision, and resting the the confidence that comes only through faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Soli Deo Gloria!