Dan Herron is formerly the pastor of Hope Presbyterian Church, a gospel-centered church community for Bloomington, Indiana and Indiana University, a church he helped to grow with the love and support of his wife.

In these troubled times, many people find themselves struggling with faith. One of the great teachings of all faith-based communities is that we are not alone, and that is by sharing life with others we can achieve incredible things. 

I recently had the opportunity to hear from Dan Herron and learn a little more about his career and inspiration that led him to a life of service to others and how his marriage gave him the strength to overcome adversity. In Dan’s words:

“Probably the largest person of inspiration in my life has been my wife, Erica.  She is a truly lovely person. We met when she was 14 and I was 16.  I remember her walking out on to the diving board during a meet I was attending.  And, when I saw her perfect posture and the way she held her hands as she concentrated before launching from the diving board, I was smitten and had to meet her.  We have been dating since 1992.”

“When we were younger, she was the good girl, the rules girl who graduated valedictorian, academic scholarship to the University of Illinois, top 5% graduate as an undergrad, disciplined, structured, goals oriented, beautiful, and kind.”

“I was the popular kid who focused on socializing above all else. I was an actor, a singer, a lover of history, and a dreamer.  I barely graduated high school with a D- average.  After high school, I was working days at a pizza restaurant and failing night classes at the local community college. There were many other things that God used to influence me at that time, but Erica was the most significant.”

“Her hard work, intelligence, success, and confidence in me when I had none were pivotal in seeing my academic and personal life turn completely around. She taught me how to have goals, how to have self-discipline, how to have and pursue goals, and how to love in a self-sacrificial way.”

“Our first date was on November 28, 1992. I proposed to her on November 28, 1998.  And, we were married a week after we graduated undergrad on May 20, 2000.  God has woven us into an incredible team, and she has never wavered in her faithful leadership and strong support in my life.  We’ve suffered through much together—almost losing our first child at his birth, ministry burnout, the challenges of graduate school for me while she was finishing her own doctorate, raising 3 kids, planting a church with only one other couple, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer while planting, facing betrayal and accusation from numerous people over the years, and now this most recent long and arduous affliction that has directed us into a new life direction.”

Collaboration is the delicate art of two or more people coming together and creating something greater than what would be possible alone.  Helen Keller famously said: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” 

Dan Herron is strengthened by his loving family, a church community and the friendship and loyalty of others during difficult circumstances.  Success is measured by the lives we change along the way. 

When we find the right partner, our impact is greater than possible alone.

When we have faith and live a life true to those values we truly can achieve great things.