Don has been in the ministry for forty years as a Pastor of bi-vocational, small and large churches, Church Planter, Transitional Pastor, University and Seminary Professor, and has coached and ministered to thousands of pastors who have experienced personal and professional crisis. His personal experience in a bitter forced termination, as well as his academic research, which was a direct result of that incident, uniquely qualify Dr. Hicks as one of the leading authorities on destructive church conflict, church health, and recovery.

Dr. Adrian Rogers ordained Don to the ministry, was his mentor, friend and Don served with him as an intern at Bellevue Baptist Church for 2 years. He is actively involved as a member of the Southern Baptist Church Minister Relations Association. He is recognized as an expert in Church Health, Church Conflict Resolution and Transitional Pastor Ministry. Don holds a B.S. degree from Liberty University, M.Div. from Mid-Western Baptist Theological Seminary, and a D.Min from Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary, with additional training at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Don currently teaches for Liberty University School of Divinity as an Online Assistant Professor for Preaching, Preventing Ministry Failure, Pastoral Theology, Leadership, and The Pastor: Navigating and Resolving Church Conflict.

He and his wife Tricia have been married for thirty-three years. Tricia is an author, a women’s conference speaker, Bible teacher, and a conference and seminar speaker on issues that Pastor’s wives face in their personal life and ministry life. They live in Forest, VA and are the parents of three grown children Matthew, Mark and Melody.

Don and Tricia know the joy of ministry, what it means to suffer in the ministry and how ministry affects marriage and children. They will share with you and your spouse their experiences that will make you cry and laugh, but most of all strengthen, encourage and teach you to trust the heart of God with your marriage, family and ministry. They have learned together in their journey the reality and purpose of II Corinthians 1: 3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”