Who am I?
My name is Derek Hale. I am the husband of one wife and father to seven children (five girls and two boys). I am currently the pastor of Trinity Covenant Church (CREC) in Wichita, Kansas. I began preaching duties at the church in 2010 and was formally ordained and installed as its pastor in 2017.
Before that, I worked in IT for NetApp, LSI Logic, and Boeing. I have also made a living with my voice, working for Brite Voice Systems and in Christian radio. I received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Wichita State University in 1996.
What do I do?
When I am not preparing to preach on Sunday or caring for God’s people, I can often be found reading. I especially enjoy the work of C. S. Lewis. No author has left a bigger imprint on me than Lewis. My favorite book, bar none, is Lewis’ That Hideous Strength. Lewis’ writing has shaped my cultural and aesthetic sensibilities into what they are today. He has provided me with countless avenues of thought that I intend to explore for the rest of my life.
In addition to Lewis, I greatly enjoy the works of the Puritans and their descendants. My favorite Puritan book is All Things for Good by Thomas Watson. The Puritans have shaped my Christian piety and enflamed my love for the Scriptures in many ways.
In addition to Lewis and the Puritans, I enjoy books by P. G. Wodehouse, John McPhee, Anthony Esolen, Joshua Gibbs, Matthew Crawford, and James Herriot. Theologically, I enjoy books by J. C. Ryle, Robert Murray M'Cheyne, Peter Leithart, Mark Jones, Herman Bavinck, and Jonathan Edwards.
What Else do I Enjoy?
Music has been an integral part of my life. I have been singing for as long as I can remember. My father used to bring home boxes of 8-track tapes from a local auction, and I would play them incessantly. I particularly remember 8-track tapes of Elvis’ Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite and Elton John’s Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player. I also owned two LPs by the Jackson 5: ABC and Goin' Back to Indiana.
I began playing electric guitar in eighth grade and devoted ridiculous amounts of time toward becoming a Rock Guitar Legend™. I played in several contemporary Christian bands in high school and college. One of those bands lost its electric bass player and I moved over into that slot. Thus began my gradual shift away from “guitarist” and toward “bassist.”
In college, my musical horizon exploded. I discovered jazz, classical, and choral music. These discoveries radically re-oriented my musical sensibilities. I was surrounded by a few professors and fellow students who loved great jazz and classical recordings. I soaked up everything I could learn and have continued to listen and learn. I am no expert on the recorded history of jazz and classical music. However, I feel I have risen at least to the level of “tour guide” and know how to direct interested listeners toward recordings that will offer great auditory value to their lives.
My favorite jazz recordings are those by Pat Metheny, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery. I am also a fan of all eras of jazz-fusion: Miles, Weather Report, Mahvishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, Mike Stern, John Scofield, Jaco Pastorius, and Tribal Tech. My favorite classical composers are J. S. Bach, Haydn, Brahms, Wagner, Mahler, Stravinsky, Britten, Shostakovich, and Arvo Pärt.
You will also see tennis-related content pop up on my page from time to time. Tennis has been my favorite sport since the 1980 Wimbledon men’s final and I have followed it ever since. My two boys are tournament tennis players, so we enjoy watching matches together and strategizing about what they can learn from their favorite players of today.
