Originally from New Zealand, Pastor Sam grew up in Arizona. Through the faithfulness of Christian parents, he came to saving faith in Jesus Christ at a young age. He first sensed God’s call to ministry as a teenager, and later pursued formal training for ministry, earning undergraduate degrees in both History and Pastoral Ministries, followed by a Master's in Biblical Languages and a Master of Divinity.
Pastor Sam has been the pastor of Cloverleaf since June of 2017. He is passionate about studying God’s Word, expository preaching, and personal discipleship. He loves reading history and biographies as well as studying Greek. Pastor Sam and his wife Rachel currently have one son. Pastor Sam is excited about the future of Cloverleaf Baptist Church and looks forward seeing God grow Cloverleaf into a vibrant, healthy church.
John Birdwell has been saved and serving the Lord since April 1972. He has attended Cloverleaf since 2021 and now serves as a deacon at Cloverleaf. One of his favorite passages in scripture is Psalm 100.