Pastor Jeff’s Bio
After a bitter and very difficult childhood that saw my parents divorce when I was 11 years old, the Lord began to get through to a very angry young man that basically hated life.
My walk with the Lord began on April 14th, 1968 El Cajon, California at the 1st Baptist Church of El Cajon during a crusade by a traveling evangelist named Mel Dibble. When the invitation was given that night, with “Just as I Am” playing, tears streaming down my face I realized that I was indeed a sinner and was going to hell without a savior, I went forward that night and gave my life to Christ and was baptized a week later. The next few years were spent joyously walking in my new found Savior’s grace.
The youth group at El Cajon 1st Baptist was quite involved with Campus Crusade as well as Campus Life; through the youth group I got involved with Youth for Christ and attended “Basic Youth Concepts” at Forest Home Conference Center. It was at that time that I felt the Lord might be calling me to be into the ministry. Failing to heed the call at that time I finished High School and began slowly to gravitate back toward the world, I desired greatly to go to medical school straight out of high school and attempted to put myself through school beginning with basic pre-med classes and general education requirements at Grossmont Junior College, which ended a year later in a hospital stay for a complete medical breakdown of my body and brain.
In the next chapter on the road of life, I ended up working in a family-owned corporation in the fence construction industry for the next 14 years. I was able to get my contractors license at age 24 and was made president of the corporation one year later.
After many successful years in business, my family got involved in owning and racing thoroughbred racehorses and the gambling that goes with that lifestyle which ultimately would be followed by the collapse of the business. Through my own seeking after the things of this world I personally nearly destroyed my marriage through alcohol abuse, sexual sin as well as gambling and a party lifestyle. The fruit of that was deep depression, desperation and nearly my own death by suicide. I again saw the Lord’s hand as He lovingly brought me back from the brink of that near suicide, into His loving care and beautiful plan. In 1987 after years of following after the things of the world I rededicated my life to serving Him.
In 1987 while we were attending Calvary Chapel of Vista I was asked by Gaylord Tohill, the assistant pastor to pray about coming on staff to help with facility maintenance (I call it “Toilet Seminary” as I learned more there than perhaps anywhere else I have ever served) and to produce Pastor Brian Brodersen’s radio program called “Back to Basics”, as well as to help teach the new believers class. Connie and I both felt the Lord speaking to us that it was past time to quit playing games and truly sell out for Jesus, so we both quit our worldly jobs and went on staff, Connie in the office and me in the restrooms, which is where I belonged so God could flush a few things out.
We were on staff at Calvary Chapel of Vista until the fall of 1990 when Pastor Chuck asked us to come on staff at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, to be involved in getting the “Castle” in, Millstat, Austria finished and operational. Our year serving in Austria, as we sold our house, packed up our stuff and moved overseas, was truly a wilderness experience for us –---we thought we were way further along the road of ministry than was really the case. Like He always does; the Lord allowed some much needed chastisement and painful growth to occur followed by an opportunity to be a part of the glorious work He had begun at Calvary Chapel Christian Camp.
Since that time pastor Chuck Smith has given me the blessed privilege of serving in a wide variety of ministry experiences through the work he founded known world wide as Calvary Chapel. Those blessings have included, being involved in many construction projects all over the world, teaching at Calvary Chapel Bible College, building radio stations, acting in the capacity of the director at both of our conference center and camp here in the San Bernardino mountains, culminating with my ordination as an assisting pastor at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa.
I also have had the privilege to teach at Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta and Twin Peaks for nearly 10 years.
Presently, God has allowed me the wonderful blessing to help plan, construct and teach at our latest Calvary Chapel Bible College in Campo Mourao Brazil, I am in my second decade as the director at Calvary Chapel Christian Camp in Green Valley Lake, CA.
The Lord has graciously granted me the joy to pastor Calvary Chapel of Running Springs, which was a small bible study for 40 people in 2002. Graciously we have been able to purchase a facility and we now minister to approximately 600 adults and children each week in our little mountain town.
My beautiful wife Connie and I were married on October 23rd, 1976 and have two miracle boys that came very late in life, Brandon and Austen, whom are our special treasure. We are so blessed to have Running Springs as our home and to be able to minister to the flock of God at Calvary Chapel of Running Springs. If the Lord were to call us home today the abundance of His blessings has been staggering.
In constant amazement of the gracious lovingkindness of the Lord to use a broken vessel like me,
By His grace,
Pastor Jeff