Meet The Pastor
Pastor Jeff Gill
Pastor Jeff Gill became the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel South Bay (CCSB) in April 12, 2015 after Pastor Steve Mays went home to be with the Lord in October of 2014. Transitioning from Calvary Chapel Running Springs with a weekly attendance of about 500 to CCSB with its 8,000 size congregation was a major step of faith that Pastor Jeff had to undergo. But whomever God calls to His ministry, He will equip and provide.
Jeff and his wife, Connie, are proving that and are facing the challenges that lie ahead as they continue to move forward down the path that God has opened for them at CCSB. Pastor Jeff and Connie began their ministry in 1988 at Calvary Chapel of Vista until the spring of 1990. That’s when Pastor Chuck Smith asked them to come on staff at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa to be involved in the preparation of the Calvary Chapel “Castle” in Millstadt, Austria for its first conference season. It was shortly after their return to the U.S. from Austria that their first son, Brandon, was born on March of 1992 in El Cajon.
As an assisting pastor at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, Jeff served in a wide variety of ministries which included: construction projects all over the world, teaching at Calvary Chapel Bible College for nearly ten years,
building radio stations for CSN and CRN, overseeing the Calvary Chapel Conference Center, serving as the director of Calvary Chapel Christian Camp in Green Valley Lake for 20 years, and serving as the International Director of Calvary Chapel Bible College and Conference Center in Campo Mourao, Brazil from 2005 to 2013.
In 2013, Jeff retired from his duties at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa to focus solely on the pastoral ministry at Calvary Chapel Running Springs. He had been pastoring the church since January of 2002 after they had lost their previous pastor. Since that time, the church consisting of about 60 congregants had grown to a congregation of approximately 500 adults and children within the little community of approximately 5,000 people. Jeff was privileged and blessed to serve faithfully and shepherd the flock with Connie by his side, as she directed and taught the women’s Bible study and managed the church office.
Jeff and Connie were married on October 23, 1976 and have two miracle sons that came very late in life—Brandon and Austen. They are both graduates of Calvary Chapel Bible College and serving the Lord in full-time ministry as worship leaders and pastoral interns. In September of 2015, Jeff and Connie welcomed a new addition to the family—Rebecca, who is now happily married to their son, Brandon.