Leadership

Pastor Sam is the senior pastor at Calvary Chapel Chico and teaches the Bible studies on Saturday evening, Sunday morning and Wednesday night. He also leads worship during Saturday evening services. Pastor Sam’s Bible studies and services reflect his dedication to, and love of the Word of God. His every effort is directed to glorifying our Lord and leading all who would hear to the Mercy and Grace of God. Pastor Sam studied at the School of Ministry at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa under the tutelage of Pastor Chuck Smith, until God led him to Northern California where he worked for a couple of years as assistant pastor in a church in Yuba City. After gaining experience there, he moved on to Chico to shepherd the church the Lord is establishing here. Over the years, Sam has seen this body grow from a few believers meeting in one room to a large congregation bulging at the seams of a ten-screen multiplex theater, and we still continue to grow. 

I grew up in San Mateo, CA, which is 20 miles south of San Francisco. Our home was a good family home and I remember both my mom and dad as loving parents and good providers. Like most families, we had our share of trauma and failings, which from time to time brought a lot of heartache into our home.
With the exception of my dad, we were practicing Catholics. I attended both Catholic grade school and high school. I remember having a childlike faith in my early grade school years, believing that Jesus truly was God and that He died for my sins. But that belief was mostly ignored from my early teens until my young adulthood. I attended Chico State in 1976 and have lived in Chico since that time.
I met my wife Konnie, while finishing up at Chico State. After a prolonged courtship, I came to my senses…Konnie said ‘Yes’ and we married.
It was around 1 year into our marriage that God, through many ways and through many people, drew me to Him. He convicted me of my sins and my need for Him.
The Holy Spirit seemed to be working simultaneously in both my life and in Konnie’s life. Eventually, after attending Calvary Chapel Chico for a few weeks, we both said ‘Yes’ to Jesus. When Sam gives an invitation to receive Christ and uses the phrase ’10,000 pound arm syndrome’, it resonates for both Konnie and I. What is it in our hearts that makes us fight against saying ‘Yes’ to the greatest person we could ever know? Our new life in Jesus had begun. I was 30 years old and Konnie was 26.
After 2 years attending Calvary, we were baptized at our church’s old site, on 16th & Hemlock. This was in response to Jesus’ instruction to ‘believe and be baptized’. Though I had been baptized as an infant, I wasn’t able to ‘believe’ as an infant. So having made a grown up decision to place my faith in Jesus, it followed that we should also be baptized to proclaim our faith in Him.
Before our baptism, we were blessed with the arrival of the first of our 3 kids. Around this time Konnie & I both were feeling the need to be involved to a greater degree in the work of ministry. It became clear to both of us that Jesus calls us to be servants. We also found out, that as we obey His commands, there is tremendous blessing for the believer.
Since those amazing days Konnie & I have been blessed to serve for many years, in many different areas of ministry at Calvary. Most of that time our service has been in the area of Children’s Ministry, where we find ourselves serving today. I have also served as an Elder and Board Member of our church for a number of years.
It has been amazing through many seasons, to see the faithfulness of God in honoring His Word. I am very thankful that our Pastor is committed to upholding God’s Word and proclaiming it, in season and out of season.