Eric has been with Gateway Church in Austin since 2011. Currently he serves as the Campus Pastor for Gateway South Austin and as part of the Leadership and Teaching teams with Senior Pastor Carlos Ortiz, Jr.. Gateway’s founding pastor is John Burke and is known for their mottos: “no perfect people allowed” and “come as you are.”
From 1998-2010, Eric served as part of the leadership team with Erwin McManus at Mosaic in Los Angeles, a church known for its creativity and diversity. The four years prior to that he helped plant a church in Seattle, WA.
Eric is the author of Not Like Me: Loving, Serving, and Influencing Our Divided World and Fruitful: Becoming Who God Created You To Be. He was a contributing author with Rick Yamamoto for Uprising Experience: A Personal Guide for a Revolution of the Soul by Erwin McManus.
Eric has taught courses at Bethel Seminary and now enjoys coaching pastors. He is also the founder of Innovative Church Leaders which helps pastors experience and bring renewal.
Eric lives with his wife, Deborah, in South Austin, TX near their young adult children – son Caleb, daughter Trevi, and son-in-law Adrien.
In addition to speaking regularly at Gateway Church in Austin, Eric teaches courses like Personal Well Being and Ministry Effectiveness and An Introduction to Missional Ministry at Bethel Seminary where he earned his Doctorate of Ministry in Entrepreneurial Leadership.
Trained in Gallup’s StrengthsFinder and the Myers Briggs Temperament Indicator, Eric coaches leaders in the ministry, non-profit, and business sectors.
Online training opportunities include the Church Growth Workshop and Church Growth Insights.
Eric’s book, Not Like Me: Learning to Love, Serve, and Influence Our Divided World, helps Christ-followers overcome the negative Christian stereotype by embracing the people Christians “love to hate.”
Eric’s blog includes articles designed to helping churches and organizations grow and become more diverse through effective leadership and outreach.