In 1969 as a freshman in high school, Bill started attending Youth for Christ  (YFC) in his hometown of Oxnard, California. A couple of years later, Gretchen began to attending San Diego YFC In 1976 Bill moved to San Diego for University. They met while both were on staff for San Diego YFC.

It was 1979, Gretchen moved to San Francisco to attend the University of California nursing program. And Bill moved to start Campus Life clubs in Simi Valley, California.

In 1980 Gretchen graduated with a B.S. in Nursing. That summer, Bill & Gretchen were married.  Throughout the five next decades, Gretchen would continue to be involved in YFC ministry, be a mom, and work full-time as a nurse.

In 1982 Youth for Christ asked them to be one of the first staff to help with a new ministry to military families. So they boarded a plane and were off to Europe. Their posting was Ramstein Airforce base. They returned from Germany in 1984. A few years later, they moved with their two toddlers (Rebekah and Erin) to Vermont.

There was only one other youth worker in Vermont. Starting Vermont YFC was a wonderful challenge. Those were the years when youth mission trips were beginning. They took a few teams to the Dominican Republic to build a camp and Homestead, Florida, for hurricane relief work.

1994 they were invited to move to Denver, Colorado, to join the YFC USA World Outreach Department. The assignment was as the International Liaison to the Middle East. During those years, Bill visited Youth for Christ staff and ministries in the region. He also facilitated multiple mission trips to the nations.

During a 2001 reorganization at YFC USA, Bill became the Assistant Director of the World Outreach. In 2019 YFC USA restructured again and transferred all the missionaries under the leadership of YFC International.

Today Bill & Gretchen have added a son-in-law (Paul) and two grandsons (Winston and Lincoln). Gretchen works for a cardiothoracic surgeon group. Erin teaches math to troubled youth at a continuation High School. Rebekah lives with the chronic illness of dysautonomia (POTS). Bill serves as the Global Engagement Director of Field Staff to about 90 missionaries residing in 26 different countries.