By day, his job is to represent the most powerful nation on earth, but when the work day is over, Gregory Slayton is a dedicated family man and devout Christian.

The Royal Gazette <$>recently interviewed the US Consul General about his personal life and beliefs. He made it very clear at the outset of the interview that he was speaking personally and only in his private capacity — and that his faith and that of each person was essentially a private matter.

Coming from a somewhat dysfunctional family background and a non-Christian home, Mr. Slayton said that by university, he was questioning his reason for being and his purpose in life. He came to believe that Jean Paul Sartre and the existentialist school of thought was right in saying that life was meaningless and devoid of any true purpose. But that conclusion was so bleak that he began to search through the religious texts from the world’s major religions, trying to find the answers to life’s biggest questions.

“It was through a process of exploration and through close friends who cared for me and loved me,” that he decided to become a Christian, he explained.

“I read all the different scriptures — from the Hindu Scriptures to the Koran — and developed a tremendous respect for the diversity and depth of religious philosophy in our world. But at the same time, I really became intrigued by this ‘Jesus-guy’,” he added. “Jesus’ love for all people, his ability to confront the powerful in both truth and love, how he broke down social barriers and the way he identified with and encouraged the poor and needy — it was amazing.

Add to all that the Biblical claim that he defeated death for me personally — and that all I needed to do was accept the fact that I was a sinner (which I already knew for sure) and needed his help and friendship — it was the most amazing thing I had ever heard of,” continued Mr. Slayton.

This transformation in his life during his senior year at Dartmouth even led to a diversion in his career. Instead of continuing on to Harvard Law School, as he had originally planned, he became a Fulbright Scholar in Asia, working with an orphanage in the Philippines while he did his thesis on the causes of poverty in the Third World. After that, he went on to work with World Vision in Africa for three years setting up maternal-child health programs. Later on he worked in Latin America for two more years with McKinsey and Company.

Since being in Bermuda, Mr. Slayton and his family have become faithful attendees at St. John’s church in Pembroke, with the desire of supporting Pastor Nick Dill, whom Mr. Slayton describes as a “dynamic, wise and loving pastor.” Mr. Slayton and his wife Marina were both involved in the Alpha Programme last fall, and their daughter sings in the choir.

Working in an official government capacity may seem to some as something that might be conflicting for a Christian believer, however, personally speaking, Mr. Slayton does not see it as a problem at all.

“I respect and support the separation of church and state,” he explained. He believes that one of the reasons for the decline of the traditional churches in Europe is the near monopoly that they have held on the faithful for centuries. Lack of competition has led to the atrophy of many state-sponsored churches. However, in the US, the separation of church and state has allowed for much more dynamic Christian churches to grow up in almost every generation to meet the needs of that generation.

“It’s only in a free society that true faith can flourish,” Mr. Slayton added. “The separation of church and state is vital for all people — including the faithful. It is especially important for the unbiased functioning of any government, whose job is to protect and promote all of its citizens, not just a chosen few.”

When it comes to management, Mr. Slayton believes that modelling himself after Christ and his teachings makes him a better leader.

“You look at Jesus and what he did and what he said. Jesus was extraordinarily successful at his job,” Mr. Slayton said. “Unlike any other philosophical or religious teaching of its era, Jesus set the example of servant leadership — that a real leader must serve his people. Servant leadership came originally from Jesus.”

Other important guiding principals in Mr. Slayton’s life include doing onto others as you would have them do unto you and speaking the truth in love.

“These are things that most of us — in fact virtually everyone — agrees with in principle. But it is hard — at least it is hard for me — to actually put them into practice consistently every single day. I make mistakes and fall short all the time — but that’s why the concept of grace — and the power of the Holy Spirit to help us be better human beings — is so important.”

While he certainly holds a challenging and influential post, Mr. Slayton’s grounding is found in three basics: faith, family and friendship.

“One thing I’ve learned in my life is the importance of family,” he said. “No matter what kind of day I’ve had at the office, my kids and my wife still love me when I get home. That is important — and it puts all the other stuff in perspective. And true friendship — the give and take of mutual respect and concern — is one of the greatest gifts in life.”

“Our world celebrates power and wealth far too much. These things are passing fancies — and in 100 years they will not matter at all to any of us here today. Faith, family and friends — in my mind those are the things that really matter — both on this earth and beyond.”