My name is Chips, which is a nickname from Christopher. I was born and raised north of Los Angeles in Canyon Country, CA. I grew up going to church, and assumed I was a Christian because I could answer the Bible questions correctly. But, when I was 10, God caused a Sunday evening service that featured a drama of DL Moody to make me realize that I did not know Jesus personally.
I enrolled at The Master’s College with the intention of using my English degree to be a newspaper reporter. But through church ministry, mission trips, and a semester of study in Israel, I recognized God was calling me to be a pastor. Following college graduation in 2000, I studied at The Master’s Seminary, graduating three years later with a Master of Divinity degree.
I was introduced to my wife, Christchanna, through some mutual good friends. The first struggle in our relationship was me learning how to pronounce her name correctly – try Chris-channa. We have four children: Abigail, Hannah, Sarah, and Isaiah.
We live in Fresno, as I serve as pastor of Westwood Baptist Church since September of 2015. Before this, I served as pastor at Forest Ranch Baptist Church near Chico, CA.
A Special Podcast - Tim Parrish Interviews Pastor Chips
