Pastor
Dave Brown has been the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Columbus for the past
fifteen years. His history with the Calvary Chapel movement goes back to
the eighties, when he found himself lost and floundering in life after serving
four years in the Marine Corps. He began attending Calvary Chapel in Costa
Mesa, California, where Pastor Chuck Smith's teaching started to transform him.
The Bible came alive, and a spiritual thirst developed in him to know as much as
possible about spiritual matters and the reason for living. After meeting
a young lady named Carla (who would later become his wife,) they enrolled at
Calvary Chapel Bible School in Twin Peaks, California.
Upon graduating the Bible School, Dave decided he needed discipleship from another pastor. He moved to Phoenix in 1986, where he eventually married Carla. They taught Sunday School, hosted a home Bible study, and took in various young people in an effort to share their faith. Eventually the door opened for this young family to move to central Ohio and support the new church plant of a former Bible school teacher, and where their family would grow to include four precious children.
When the pastor of this new church plant decided to step down, Dave took over the struggling flock of eight or so people. Honoring the Marine Corps mandate of "never leave the wounded behind,"
he began to shepherd this young flock, and from this tiny group the church has grown to where it is today.
The church in Columbus originally met in a YMCA, then in another church's building, then in a storefront, and finally bought their own building. The sign out front reads: "Calvary Chapel-where the sheep like to eat." Pastor Dave's joy is in teaching the word of God and watching people grow in the Christian faith. He enjoys seeing Jesus move through the church, touching, healing, and setting hurting people free. Each day brings him a new awareness of the awesomeness of God's grace, and he thoroughly enjoys God's calling in his life.
Pastor Dave's Assistants are (click the thumbnail to enlarge photo):
