Derrick grew up near Chicago in Gary, Indiana, spending chapters of his youth between the two neighboring cities. As a high school student, Derrick was introduced to Christ through a relationship with a young woman, Kaley, who would later become his wife. Together at Indiana University, they quickly became involved with Campus Crusade Ministries while they earned their degrees. Blessed with a natural ability to lead others, the couple eventually became leaders within Campus Crusade. Burdened by the division they saw on campus along racial lines, Derrick created a new ministry for Crusade within the Impact Movement that reached out to African-American students on campus.
After college, Derrick and Kaley moved to Indianapolis, IN to work on staff with Campus Crusade and helped develop a ministry in the inner city of Indianapolis where Churches, College students, and high school students worked together. This ministry brought about needed community in the city while giving churches a natural way into the colleges and high schools in Indianapolis. This work in Indianapolis is where Derrick and Kaley’s heart became burdened for the local church.
After a few years in Indianapolis, the couple moved to Memphis, TN, where Derrick earned an MDiv at MidAmerica Baptist Theological Seminary while serving in the Residency Program and as a Campus Pastor at Fellowship Memphis Church. It is at this multiethnic church where Derrick deepened his passion for seeing the Gospel’s power to reconcile people of all walks of life.
Derrick and Kaley relocated to Chicago in the Fall of 2013 to plant Renewal Chicago. They have four beautiful girls and one little man: Ramiyah, Elyana, Isabelle, Nalah and Derrick III.
