Originally from Youngstown, Ohio. He received his training in ministry through Dr. Willie Richardson of Christian Stronghold Baptist Church of Philadelphia, PA. He was associate minister at Stronghold from 1982 until 1987. He was on full time staff from 1987-1991. Cliff graduated with a BA from Michigan State University. He has also attended Philadelphia College of the Bible and Geneva College where he later became an adjunct professor. In March of 2005, he received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree. Cliff is an international and cross-denominational speaker. He has spoken for the Southern Baptist, Baptist General Conference, Mennonite Leadership Conference, Messiah College and a host of other churches and universities. He is also a certified biblical counselor.
He has developed citywide evangelism conferences, in-house evangelism ministries and other evangelistic outreaches: block evangelism, summer street evangelism, door-to-door evangelism, professional evangelism, hospital evangelism, and sports evangelism. He also developed house fellowships, men's discipleship ministry, biblical counseling training and a "Pray for the Pastor" ministry. He has served as Director of Christian Education, Deacon, Young Adult Sunday school teacher, Adult Sunday school teacher, Men's Breakfast coordinator, Official Board Member, and E.T.T.A. instructor. He has written a "Job Enrichment" manual that has been used since 1982 to successfully enhance and improve employment status and promotability of thousands worldwide.
He is the Senior Pastor and Founder of DaySpring Ministries in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The church started on April 19, 1992. It sits on 30 acres of land with a building of approximately 40,000 square feet. The sanctuary seats 1,200, with an administrative wing and a family center wing. DaySpring has a recording studio, bookstore and the "Turning Point" café'. The mission statement and prime directive for DaySpring Ministries is "Bringing People to Healing and Wholeness".
Cliff has a burden for families, developing men and for starting new churches. He is the CEO of Mighty Men of Valor, an annual conference that hosts men globally www.menofvalor.com He also hosts a quarterly men's breakfast in Harrisburg. He is an assessment facilitator for new church plants and has plans to start numerous churches in the Harrisburg region. This church planting effort is known as "Arms Around Communities". Two ministers have already taken pastoral positions in Harrisburg with more being trained. Cliff has already received numerous awards for the impact DaySpring Ministries has had on the region from the Governor of Pennsylvania, Mayor of Harrisburg, State Representative, and N.O.B.L.E., National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.
He and his wife Audree have been married 43 years. They have two children, and five grandchildren.
