Allen was born in St. Charles, just outside of St. Louis, but grew up in Jackson, a small town in southeast Missouri along the Mississippi River. It’s a tight-knit community where he spent the rest of his childhood, and still considers it home. Allen received his B.S. from Southeast Missouri State University and M.A. in Religious Education at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

All the sweet old ladies at Allen’s home church were determined to find him a wife and, let’s just say, their matchmaking track record wasn’t great. So he was hesitant when he agreed to a dinner where they planned to introduce him to someone. That someone was Cheryl — and the moment he saw her, he knew this one was different. They dated long-distance for ten months while he was in seminary, got engaged, and were married four months later in 1992. They have two children, Kaylee and Trey, and a miniature golden doodle, Harper.

After finishing his undergraduate degree, Allen spent six years in the secular workforce doing work he genuinely enjoyed. But over time, he felt a growing pull toward full-time ministry and found himself spending nearly all his spare time serving in the church. Through consistent time in God’s Word, prayer, and the encouragement of trusted believers who spoke truth into his life — he eventually made a public commitment to full-time ministry and began preparing to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft Worth, TX.

Allen and Cheryl have served in several churches throughout southwest Florida and joined what God was doing at The Bridge in 2016.