I am someone who holds a deep respect for God, takes on the role of a leader and motivator for others, embraces and cherishes life, serves as a father and grandfather, engages in philosophical pursuits, imparts knowledge as a university instructor, shares thoughts as a public speaker, expresses creativity through singing and writing, and navigates the skies as a private pilot.

I was the Senior Pastor of a church for over 29 years and enjoyed seeing people from various backgrounds and walks of life gather together each week to worship God. We accomplished much by focusing on what we could agree on and respecting one another in our differences. As a young pastor, I was never afraid to challenge the norms, question why we continued to do things and hold certain attitudes that kept people from God and each other. After all these years, I still find myself passionate about challenging the cultures within the church that separate people from God rather than making the path plain for people to approach God.

In December 2023, I completed my MA in philosophy and had the pleasure of teaching Intro to Philosophy as a GTA at Georgia State University. I am currently teaching Critical Thinking as a visiting instructor at GSU. The opportunity to speak into the lives of hundreds of students from all across the world is one I could have never imagined possible. I quite often joke that I get to talk about the same things as always, except now I get to cuss (LOL)! I am grateful for the platform provided for me and give thanks daily for such an incredible opportunity. This most recent endeavor has allowed me to continue to pour respect and love into the lives of people I would otherwise never reach.

I continue to love to inspire people to find the courage to push through the obstacles of the past, push past the opinions of others, and stand up and live despite anything that may be against them. It is fantastic when people are at peace with who they are instead of struggling to become someone different. It is in acceptance of our person that we learn to submit who we are to God. Peace with God produces the most potent force for living. In the place of peace, we find the courage to rise above our mistakes, move past the hurts of the past, forgive those who have sought to destroy us, and truly live our best life.

Whether I am teaching in a classroom, speaking in a church setting, singing in a restaurant, bar, winery, or writing, I welcome opportunities to inspire and motivate each person I communicate with to inspire them to navigate the challenges of change, mistakes, success, and failures in life and business to become the best versions of themselves to make a difference in their world.

Respectfully .... David K Payne