Our Testimony

Daren Belardo was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in the suburbs of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Bensalem High School in 1989 before serving in the United States Marine Corps. Following the Persian Gulf War, he was honorably discharged and continued his education at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana. In 1996, he earned a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, with minors in Business Management and Physical Education.

Daren spent thirteen years working in sales, including a particularly enjoyable chapter with a Christian-owned record label in Nashville, Tennessee. While in Nashville, he married his sweetheart, Vanessa Grubb, in 2003.

In 2010, Daren was ordained as a minister in the Southern Baptist Convention and began his ministry as a children's and youth pastor. The following year, he joined the Missouri State Highway Patrol, serving as a state trooper until his retirement on August 1, 2026.

Daren currently serves as interim senior pastor of East Sedalia Baptist Church in Sedalia, Missouri. He and Vanessa make their home in Sedalia with their four children: Nathan, Grace, Luke, and Joshua.