About Me

As a boy growing up in Savannah, Georgia, I lived my entire childhood in a house located down a dirt/clay road near the salt marshes of the inter-coastal waterway. It was quite the life. We constantly enjoyed seafood brought from the rivers, and I learned to swim in those rivers at a very early age. Life was good.

My Dad was a railroad man for 41 years. Before that he was a soldier who served his country in WWII, and even before that he was a star running back at Savannah High School. He married his high school sweetheart, and together they had 5 children – I was the fourth born. I will always be thankful for the traditional family that I grew up in. I always knew my parents loved each other. My Mom trusted Christ when she was a little girl , but my Dad did not get saved until my 17th year. What a difference it made in the Herring home when he trusted Christ!

As for me, I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior as a 12 year old boy after hearing Bobby Richardson give his testimony in my hometown of Savannah, Georgia. Bobby was the great second baseman for the New York Yankee’s, and later was responsible for Mickey Mantle coming to Christ. As a teenager, I attended Bible Baptist Church, and, after attending my senior year, I graduated from Bible Baptist School. It was under the ministry of Pastor Cecil Hodges, and my Youth Pastor Ray Turner, that I learned that God has a purpose for my life. I surrendered to preach when I was 17 years old, and met my wife, Susie, while attending Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri.

We were married at the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Fairfax, Virginia, on August 9, 1975. She is the great love of my life, and my best friend. God has blessed Susie and I with six wonderful children. I am especially grateful that the churches where I have ministered have loved my children, and allowed them to be just “kids”. Family is important to us, and we are grateful for the times when we can be together. Now that Susie and I are “Mimi and Papa”, we have no greater joy than to spend time with some of our 25 grandchildren. It’s my happy place.

After 30 years of ministry in Georgia, God led us to the Treasure Valley area of Idaho to plant the South Valley Baptist Church. We are amazed at what God has done, and thrilled to be a part of it! God has molded our church into a family of friends, and I cannot imagine me without them. Having ministered on both sides of America, we are doubly blessed to have friends all over this nation.

In addition to being a Pastor, I taught high school History for years – along with American Government and World Geography. Those subjects were dear to my heart, but my greatest joy was the interaction with those I taught. I love my students and stay connected with many of them to this day. They helped me develop as a person as much as I hope I helped them.

I also love to write. I have written weekly articles for local newspapers for years, and have been a syndicated columnist for a popular sports site – as well as being published by foxsports.com and a number of other sports related communities. Each of those area’s have been an open door for me to influence people.

I say all of that to say this: My articles will cross a wide spectrum of subjects. I will write about faith, family, politics, sports, current events, history, humor, and human interest stories.

You may not agree with everything I write, and I can handle that. My worldview has been molded by the absolutes of the Bible, and I hope you will not confuse my convictions with callousness. I love people – even those who disagree with me – and I have spent my entire adult life ministering to them. If my writing makes you think – I am happy, if it reaches your heart – I am thankful. Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope you will be blessed by what you read.