Troy grew up in L.A. where he and his family moved thirteen times before his thirteenth birthday. Through the challenges, however, his mother passed her faith on to him. He recalls being seven years old and strongly impressed one night with the awareness that he did not want to go to hell. His mother sat down with him and his brother and led them to Christ. And that decision stuck.

Following high school, Troy served in the Marine reserves for six years. During those years he also began in youth ministry at Willow Creek in Chicago and studied at Moody Bible Institute. At Willow, he met Tricia, and the two married in 1989. Eight years later, he had an opportunity to pastor in Southern California. While living in the Golden State, Troy completed a Masters in Education at Azusa Pacific University where he also taught.

In 2005, the Murphys moved to Green Bay and began attending GBCC. In 2009, Troy joined the staff as the lead pastor. What he loves about his job is seeing people’s lives changed and individuals growing through Christ. He and Tricia have four daughters—Lauren, Jackie, Hailee, and Allie.

In his spare time, Troy enjoys being with his family, hunting, and working out, and if he could magically add a skill to his life, he’d choose cooking. He lists Ted Dekker’s The Complete Circle Series as a favorite fiction book because of the allegory’s powerful depiction of the fall of man and our redemption through Christ’s work. In heaven, Troy would like to watch history on “tape,” but before he gets there, he hopes to visit Ireland and to parachute.