Tommy established the Church of the Advent in late 2007, along with a core group of men and women living in Columbia Heights. Prior to this time, Tommy lived in Boston, MA where his passion for urban renewal was born out of his tenure as a mental health counselor working with underserved populations. A native of Winston-Salem, NC, Tommy attended Furman University where he met his wife and best friend, Laura. Tommy received a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA. He and Laura have a son named Riley and a dog, Jasper.