A Fort Scott native, Dusty has been part of Community Christian Church since 1976—just three years after the church was founded. Growing up in the church shaped his heart for ministry, and after twelve years of involvement, he pursued a call to full-time ministry at Ozark Christian College, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in Theology and Biblical Literature.
While at Ozark, Dusty met his future wife, Amy, in the cafeteria. She caught his eye wearing a bright pink sweatsuit—something he jokingly says didn’t hurt her chances. They married in 1991 and began a life of ministry together.
Dusty served as a youth minister in Pittsburg, Kansas; St. Peter’s, Missouri; and Arlington, Texas before he and Amy returned to Fort Scott in 1997. Since then, he’s served Community in several roles: Associate Minister, Worship Minister, and now Lead Minister. Reflecting on his journey, Dusty says, “Opportunities to serve in the church you grew up in are rare, but I’ve been uniquely blessed to do just that.”
Dusty and Amy are the proud parents of Delynn (Tony) and Davis (Savannah), but if you ask them, the real VIPs are their grandkids—Max, Arlie, Drake, and Wilson.
Books, Movies, or Podcasts:
Dusty loves wrenching on engines in his garage, often with a podcast playing in the background. It’s his favorite way to unwind and learn at the same time.
Favorite Ministry Memory:
“There are too many to count. Most have this common thread: God places me in someone’s life in a way where I end up being the one blessed. But if I had to pick one… there was that moonless midnight, driving a school bus full of teenagers on a backroad in Illinois. We were cruising along at 65 when the headlights suddenly and completely went out. They don’t cover that one in practical ministry class.”