Vinny Gerace

Vinny Gerace grew up in upstate New York in a strongly ethnic Italian family, but he is most recently from Norman, Oklahoma. His professional career has been spent in "marketplace ministry" as a human resources consultant. In the local church Vinny has worked in significant pastoral and consulting roles to improve leadership, communication and teamwork. He consults with married couples and families on behavioral styles and its effect on family communication, and has developed training materials involving conflict resolution and team building. Vinny also has experience as a Singles Pastor and Emerging Leaders Pastor, as well as other lay leadership positions. He uses this these experiences and the knowledge he has gained to impact families through the WEFC Marriage Ministry.

Regarding what Vinny loves about WEFC: "The vision to create church health that leads to church multiplication captured my heart early in my Christian walk. WEFC's vision was to do this, and they understood the primacy of the family and marriage in that process."

Of his own family, Vinny says, "Teresa is the most powerful transforming blessing God has ever placed on my life short of salvation and the Holy Spirit. I have or am currently parenting the 'typical' family in the U.S. today made up of six 'children' (two step, three guardianship, one biological) ranging in age from 26 – 10 months, two of which are step-grandchildren as well. This experience has led me to one simple conclusion: 1 Corinthians 13:13 is true and produces the only things worthwhile, 'And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'"

e-mail vinny@westefc.org