About
P. J. is a minister with over 23 years of experience preaching, teaching, counseling and serving in a variety of ministry roles. He has served as a Pulpit Minister, Family Minister, Youth Minister and Missionary for churches ranging in size from 30 - 700. He enjoys working with people of all ages and never meets a stranger.
P. J. is a native of Floyd Virginia, living in the Blue Ridge Mountains until he graduated from Floyd County High School. He is the son of Richard & Cheryl Sharpe and the late Albert Hicks. After high school he attended Freed-Hardeman University where he obtained his Bachelors Degree in Bible with a minor in Youth Ministry and Music Education. While at Freed-Hardeman he also met his wife, the former Deborah Epler of Princeton, West Virginia, they have been happily married for 21 years.
His first full-time work out of college was with the Lord's church in Front Royal, Virginia. He has had the opportunity to preach and teach in gospel meetings, lectureships, seminars, summer youth camps, and youth rallies in a number of states, including: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. He has also had the opportunity to do mission work in Central and South America.
P. J. and Deborah have adopted their son, Brandon (adopted at 3 now 14). He and Deborah have actively hosted 23 exchange students from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, France, Germany, Spain, Taiwan, Switzerland, and Venezuela. P. J. has served as an international exchange student coordinator, assisting in the placement of international students with families in the United States. P. J. and Deborah have served as foster parents for nine children from within in their local communities.
He has worked in many different community service projects, youth group work camps as well as missionary trips both abroad and stateside. He is a member of Kiwanis International, a service organization that serves children. He has been honored to be a prayer Chaplin in the Texas State Legislature. As a part of his passion of serving people he helped establish the Southwest Virginia Community Medication Assistance Program that provides medication to those who are not able to pay. P. J. has been a National American Red Cross Disaster Relief Assessments Coordinator for West Virginia and Virginia. He has served in duty in a number of floods and natural disasters that require FEMEA assistance. He is also certified in CPR and First Aid.
Being a computer minded individual, he has been an adjunct professor of Wytheville Community College in Wytheville, VA teaching Microsoft Office Products, Adobe Page Maker, and other classes.
With all of this being said, P. J. would rather be known as "faithful christian husband, father, and son who serves the Lord with gladness giving Him all the glory."
