Gary Lawton Senior Pastor and James Class Associate Pastor
Gary Lawton Senior Pastor
Pastor Gary answered the call to the Ministry by attending the School of Evangelism at Calvary Chapel of San Diego in 1979. It was there he met and married Martha (Meef) and they both began serving in the Youth ministry at Calvary Chapel of El Cajon under Pastor Ray Bentley. After four fruitful years serving the body in El Cajon, the Lord called Gary and Meef to the East Coast. Gary was then the founding and Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel of Vineland N J. in 1985. A thriving church that continues to impact the north-east area of the U.S. through weekly services, a variety of ministries and a radio station that broadcasts throughout the southern NJ area. Additionally, three other congregations were successfully planted from the church in Vineland, which exist today in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
In 1998 Gary and Meef returned to San Diego and joined the staff at Maranatha Chapel where he was an Assistant to Pastor Ray Bentley. In Addition to teaching the weekly Sunday Evening Services, Gary, along with the senior staff, was responsible for overseeing the pastoral, support staff and Maranatha Christian School. He provided Marriage and premarital counseling for the members of the church body and has often been a speaker on Marriage Weekends for other Calvary Chapel churches. Gary also served as Mission Pastor for the congregation, training and leading short-term teams to Romania , Ireland , Bolivia , Sudan , Uganda , Kenya , Philippines , China and Mexico. The outreach teams provided medical help, evangelism, music events, preaching tours and biblical training.
In September of 2010 Gary and Meef accepted the invitation to join the family at Calvary Chapel of Santee as their new Senior Pastor. Their vision is focused on clear bible teaching, to equip the believers to grow and serve, and impact the World with good news of Jesus Christ in the East County and beyond. Gary has been married to his wife Meef for more than 30 years. They have four adult children, three are married and have 9 grandchildren.
James Class Associate Pastor
James gave his life to the Lord in 1999, and went to Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta, CA, not long after. It was there that he met his wife Larissa, whom he married just after finishing Bible College in 2001. James served at Maranatha Chapel in San Diego for several years before coming on staff in 2005. While on staff at Maranatha he served as the Junior High Pastor, the High School Pastor, and he also taught the Sunday Evening Service. In 2011, James became the Senior Pastor at Calvary Chapel Hidden Valley in Escondido, which later changed their name to Revive. He served as the Senior Pastor at Revive until 2017, when he answered the call to come to Calvary Chapel Santee. God has blessed James with a wonderful wife, and four fantastic kids.
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Calvary Chapel Santee
WELCOME TO CALVARY CHAPEL SANTEE
Calvary Chapel of Santee is a non-denominational evangelical Christian church affiliated with the family of Calvary Chapel churches both national and international. We welcome all who visit–believers, non-believers, those who are secure in their faith, and those who struggle with doubt. Church is more than a building with friendly people with lots of activities. It is a place where people come to meet God and find answers to life’s questions.
We teach the Bible verse by verse in all our services and gatherings, and pray that all who come will be edified and built up in their faith and relationship with God. Whether you visit our church or get to know us through this website, we pray that you will be touched by God’s love and filled with His Spirit.
Calvary Chapel of Santee was formed and founded in 1984, and has been under the leadership of some very godly pastors and men since it’s birth. The church has moved locations during it’s history in Santee but spiritual priorities and diet have remained the same. We focus on clear bible teaching and simple but dynamic faith in Jesus Christ. God has grown the church numerically and in maturity and the congregation is a balance of people from all age groups. We meet in a comfortable but somewhat “difficult to find” location on the east edge of Santee. We offer a variety of ministries as means to help people grow in their relationship with Christ and in fellowship with other believers
