Travis is gospel-centered in all areas of his ministry, from preaching, mission development, to calls to action. In speaking about diversity, he does not pursue it because it is a good thing to do, but because it’s the gospel thing to do. Relationally, I have found that Travis is willing to take the extra step in strengthening our bonds in Christ. For example, in the course of the search process, there were necessary and challenging discussions between the candidate and committee, and afterwards he would show us that we are still brothers and sisters in Christ.

Saint Paul urges, “We preach Christ and him crucified”. Mere exegesis does not serve to bring a text to life, but a holy imagination. I was gripped by the way Travis was evidently gripped by the Passover motif in Exodus. Travis energetically preached beyond the story to set forth the Savior. He seems to get right that grand important truth that Christ is ensconced in all the Scriptures. I look forward to see how God will use him to forge our congregation.

There are so many great things I could say about Travis, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll just say two: one is that, in his sermons — as well as in our conversations during the interview process — I have found his expression and exposition of the gospel to be both nourishing and worship-fueling. As a congregant, that excites me. And as a staff member, one of my first reactions to our interviews was the thought, “I would love to work with Travis.” He is a gifted communicator who has the unique ability of cultivating big-picture vision while being very aware of the practical, organizational steps required in bringing about that vision.

Over the time we have had to get to know Travis, his personality is one of friendliness, caring, dedication to family and someone who enjoys good humor. Along with the gift of solid preaching, he has displayed the attributes of wisdom, temperance, being a good listener with the ability to offer guidance and having a strong sense of God's providence.

For me, capacity and thoughtfulness are two characteristics of Travis Drake that have emerged over the many months we have spent with him in his candidacy. Though an achiever, I was struck recently when he described working on ‘stillness.’ In his words: ‘I’m trying to practice stillness… no need for God or me to say anything… just being still with God... sometimes in a museum in front of a beautiful work of art.’