About Dale

After serving more than 30 years as a United Methodist pastor, Dale realized the institutional church he had given so much to was grounded more in perpetuating the institution than actually meeting the challenges of people’s lives and questions in a modern world.

Through counseling, coaching, mentoring, and even voice therapy, Dale unlearned what he had been told to think and believe for so long. His passion shifted toward connecting with people seeking to live an authentic, honest life, regardless of faith.

“Even though I talked for a living for years, I had not heard my own voice. I became what I thought others wanted me to be,” Dale says. “I had to work through what had kept my voice silenced for so long and rediscover who I was, what I believed, and stand in that truth.”

In 2019, Dale began a new chapter. He helped establish an inclusive and affirming community, The Open Table, where people are accepted no matter who they are or where they are on their life journey. Dale also came out as gay during this time, which solidified his commitment to building a community that accepts all people.

Dale also pursues his mission of connecting and helping others live authentic, honest lives through speaking engagements, one-on-one coaching, and writing. While his faith is part of his own story, he welcomes and celebrates differences of backgrounds and faiths.

Dale is a native Ohioan and a graduate of The Ohio State University and Asbury Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Shelly, are in a mixed-orientation marriage. They live in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area and have a son, a daughter, and two grandsons. Dale is ordained with the Federation of Christian Ministries.