A native of "Slower Lower" Delaware, Bruce has lived in many places over his 51 years, including Alabama, South Carolina, Florida and Belgium. He and his wife relocated their family of five to the Winston-Salem area in June 2021. However, in his native state and home church, he came to repentance at age 21 as he was overwhelmed with the irresistible grace of Jesus Christ.
He was raised in a Christian home and is eternally grateful for the godly heritage passed down from his paternal grandparents. Since he grew up seeing the work and fruits of the Holy Spirit, he describes his conversion as "undramatic." Bruce says that he once read a devotion by Pat Morley that sums it up: "the one who grew up a Christian merely walks from the well-lit anteroom into an even brighter dining room, where he sups with the Savior personally." His favorite verse is 2 Corinthians 5:21, in which Paul states, "For our sake he made him to be sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." This is his favorite passage because it encapsulates the Gospel.
One of his favorite quotes is by German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer: "We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in light of what they suffer." Bruce tries to show grace to others based on Bonhoeffer's logic but admits that he often falls short.
Bruce regularly attends NCS at the Lodge on Fridays, and periodically attends NCS East on Thursday mornings to fellowship with other men. Upon their relocation, he was introduced to NCS when opening a bank account at the local BB&T in July 2021. While speaking to the banker about wanting to connect with local Christian men, he told Bruce that he heard that "a bunch of Christian men" meet for breakfast at River Birch Lodge on Friday mornings. Upon a quick Google search, it seemed like the place to be for some Christian fellowship, mainly because he and his family had not found a church yet.
When asked about his first visit, Bruce said, "I walked in looking completely lost, and Larry Menconi emerged from the crowd with a warm smile and a fist bump. As he asked me many questions about myself, he made me feel welcome, and others quickly followed in the same fashion." He adds, "Since then, I have developed multiple friendships with great men and have really enjoyed spending time with them, and I look forward to developing more of these types of godly relationships."
In addition, he said that he loves hearing testimonies and about the many opportunities to serve within the community and beyond…”All this by just showing up!"
Bruce works in outreach for Bold Hope, a Christian non-profit based in Pennsylvania. The ministry serves the impoverished in approximately ten countries, focusing on Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Belize.
He is currently working on a Master of Arts in Theological Studies at Westminster Theological Seminary and anticipates finishing in March 2023. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Lu, for nearly 20 years. They have three children, 16-year-old twins (a boy and a girl) and a 12-year-old son. Lastly, he loves to read theological books and discuss life over pints. So if anyone would like to join him, seek him out!
Comments