BIO
Eric L. Chaffin
(806) 787-1815
Allow me to tell you about myself. My social media bio will say something like: “Pastor, hubby, dad, and scholar. Love Jesus, family, chicken nachos, and college football. Beautiful melodies make me cry.” But, there’s a bit more to me than that.
As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, my personal mission is to lead people to a deeper relationship with God, and to foster personal growth and wholeness in them by modeling the life of Jesus, by discipling them through the teaching of God’s Word, and by providing them encouragement, counsel, and prayer.
Some of the most memorable milestones in my life include the profession of faith in Jesus that I made in April 1972 at First Baptist Church in Seymour, Texas. I was licensed to the Gospel ministry, September 1981 (on my birthday) at First Baptist Church, Guymon, Oklahoma. I was ordained for ministry in May 1993, at Vimy Ridge Baptist Church in Rush Springs, Oklahoma. I married my life mate, Kristi, in 1990. And over our many years together, we’ve raised four children: Ryan, Ben, Katie and Luke, all of whom reside in west Texas.
My academic journey has included several stops along the way. I have a certificate in Biblical studies from Liberty University’s Institute of Biblical Studies. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication and Theater from Southwest Baptist University. I hold two degrees from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary: a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theology with an emphasis in pedagogy. Additionally, I earned three degrees from Master’s International University of Divinity: a Master of Ministry, a Doctor of Biblical Studies, and a Doctor of Ministry.
My experience in ministry extends more than thirty years and has been varied. My most recent experience has been serving a wonderful group of people as the senior pastor of Beech Street First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Arkansas. Prior experiences in pastoral ministry included 10 1/2 years at Southcrest Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas, serving as Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Single Adults; and two years as senior pastor of Broadview Baptist Church in Lubbock. Prior to full-time pastoral ministry, I served as an interim pastor at churches in Perkins, Oklahoma; Ferris, Oklahoma; and Alex, Oklahoma.
Before God’s call into pastoral ministry, I played a number of different roles in various para-church ministries. These included my own public speaking and discipleship ministry, 3:14 Ministries; ministerial chaplaincies with arena football franchises in Oklahoma City and Lubbock; serving as project administrator for Oklahoma Family Policy Council in Bethany Oklahoma; and twelve years of service to the S.A.N.E. ministry in Oklahoma City.
In addition to gifts for pastoral ministry, God has blessed me with the spiritual gift of teaching. I’ve most recently put that gift to use in partnership with ArTex Institute Of Biblical Studies in Texarkana (a ministry of ArTex Baptist Association), facilitating classes in Introduction to Biblical Interpretation and Greek For Beginners.
During my tenure in Lubbock, I administrated a program at Southcrest Baptist called “Seminary For Saints.” Over the years, I led classes there such as The Biblical Response To Suffering; Introduction to Systematic Theology; Old Testament Survey; New Testament Survey; Introduction to Apologetics; Introduction To Biblical Interpretation; Introduction To Church History; and the Impact of the Reformation. I also taught 12th grade Bible at Southcrest Christian School.
Additionally, during my final year in west Texas, I served as Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies at Wayland Baptist University, teaching Introduction to Old Testament and Introduction to New Testament.
In addition to preaching, teaching, and church leadership, I’ve also enjoyed opportunities to write. My books include two sports devotional books, Everything I Know About God I Learned From Football (©2008, Tate Publishing); Go Deep: Gridiron Reflections On God’s Playbook (©2016, Tate Publishing); and Faint Not: Powerful Prayer Along The Broken Road (©2018, Chaplain Publishing).
Published articles include “Playing On God’s Team Brings Victory,” “Remembering His Promises,” “God Leads Us All Through Bumps of Life,” “Win One For The Divine Gipper,” and “Details Vital In Life”—all published by the Daily Oklahoman from 2004 to 2006; and “A Theology Of Prayer,” published in 2010 in The Master’s Journey, the academic journal of Master’s International University of Divinity.
