Pastor Al (Rev. Al Christian) was born at Comanche County Memorial Hospital, in Lawton, Oklahoma, in December, 1974. Shortly thereafter, he was adopted by Bob and Jewell Christian, also of Lawton. Contact him on FACEBOOK here.

He has chosen as his life-verses, Psalm 40:1-3, which say, "I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip. He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God." Pastor Al regards his adoption by the Christian family as a God-sent rescue from a life of certain misery, and a superlative gift. He is forever grateful for the undying love of the only parents who ever claimed him as their own: Bob and Jewell Christian.

Pastor Al was raised in old central Lawton, between the Mattie Beal House and Mattie Beal Park. He attended kindergarten at Howell Elementary in Lawton.

He attended first grade at the Rogers Lane Church of God Christian School, and second through sixth grades at Lincoln Elementary. Pastor Al attended Central Junior High and graduated from Lawton High School in May of 1993.

Instrumental in Pastor Al's early life were two very special ladies. First, his grandmother, Gladys Harrison, whom every grandchild and great grandchild lovingly called, "Big Mama." Big Mama was truly Pastor Al's inspiration and impetus for moving forward in ministry. Big Mama went to be with the Lord in 1986, but her influence continues in Pastor Al's life even today.

The other special lady is Betty Wolford. Betty owned (now her daughter Danielle runs) the Kae Dee Day Care Center on E Ave. Every afternoon, Betty would call all the children together for "class." She taught Pastor Al his letters, numbers, and lots of scripture. Pastor Al often credits Betty with his ability to persevere in his ongoing quest for character.

At age 12, Pastor Al went to Falls Creek (a Baptist encampment in Eastern Oklahoma) with the youth group from Calvary Baptist Church, and gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ. Calvary Baptist became his home church from the time he was 13 to age 16. At age 16, Pastor Al became the youth worship leader at Central Baptist Church, but was offered and accepted his first paid ministry position at Immanuel Baptist Church, at 11th and Jefferson. He served as music director at Immanuel Baptist for a couple of years and returned to Central Baptist as the associate minister of music. Pastor Al chose an immediate career path in church music and put his college education on hold.

In 1994, while attending a service at a local Spanish-speaking Church of God in Lawton (Un Nuevo Amanecer con Cristo), Pastor Al was baptized with the Holy Spirit, and began a journey into Pentecostal things.

He served in that church from 1994 until 1997, when he moved to Punta Gorda, Florida, to work as Minister of Music at Souls Harbour Church of God with Pastor Rich Webb. Shortly after Pastor Al arrived in Florida, he met and began to court Carmen, a worship team member in a nearby Spanish-speaking Assembly of God congregation.

A few months into his tenure at Souls Harbour Church of God, Pastor Al plunged into youth ministry as a revival movement swept through the area entitled, "Holy Ghost Invasion." Pastor Al was instrumental in bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to many people in Southwest Florida, and into the Miami area as a result of this movement.

About a year after Pastor Al arrived in Florida, he was hired as youth pastor at the largest church in the Punta Gorda-Port Charlotte area--The Community Life Center.

Pastor Al worked there for eight months as youth revival continued. Many teenagers and young adults came to Christ during his tenure there.

Pastor Al married Carmen in June of 1999. They had their first son, Robby, in 2000, and their second son, Keven, in 2001. Pastor Al credits his family for being the most influencial people in his life and considers life with them a blessing every day.

After a few years in and out of itinerant ministry along the Gulf Coast of Florida, Pastor Al with Carmen and the boys returned to Lawton, Oklahoma in the Spring of 2005. After working through the 2005-2006 school year at Lawton High School, Pastor Al became the full-time youth pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, where he grew up. Through the summer of 2006 incredible growth in the youth ministry began to confound those who had never seen it before. The same youth revival movement that swept through Southwest Florida in the late 90's had come to Lawton.

By December, 2006, it was clear this movement had to have its space. The first Tuesday of February, 2007, the FUEL Phenomenon began! Pastor Al, Nick Hutchins, and a few others wrote the Bylaws and established the corporate structure of a ministry to be called FUEL. Pastor Al is home to stay, and will be continuing to work toward the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Al is an expository preacher who takes care to always check Scripture's context, the original culture and recipient of the text, and the grammar, definitions, and commentaries in the original language of the text. He does not believe in taking Scripture out of context to make a point. His heart cries out for revival!