Introducing Our New Lead Pastor!
Meet Dr. Eric & Kristi Chaffin!
Hello Colonial family! My name is Eric Chaffin (pronounced Chăf-fin).
I am honored to be your new Lead Pastor. Over the past several months, Kristi and I have had the joy of getting to know you as a church through your Pastor Search Team and are excited to meet each and every one of you in the coming months. I'd like to introduce myself and share a little about who I am.
About
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.
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.
Experience
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, including Senior Pastor of Beech Street First Baptist Church in Texarkana, AR and Broadview Baptist Church in Lubbock, TX, as well as an Associate Pastor at Southcrest Baptist Church in Lubbock.
Beliefs
In matters of faith and practice, there are three levels of doctrinal authority:
Level 1: Absolutes
First level doctrines are core, foundational beliefs of the Christian faith, such as the deity of Christ, the virgin birth of Christ, the substitutionary atonement of Christ, the bodily resurrection and return of Christ, and the infallibility of the Scripture. These are matters upon which all Christians should willingly agree.
Level 2: Convictions
Second level doctrines are those which do not provide the foundation of Christian faith and practice. For example: Is the return of Christ most accurately described by the dispensational premillennial view (a rapture, then a return)? Or, by the historical premillennial view (the rapture and return are one in the same)? Did the “sign” gifts cease with the first century apostles, or do they continue in the church today? Was Christ’s atonement for all humankind or just for the “elect,” as Reformed theology suggests? Second level doctrines are those upon which Christians can amicably agree to disagree without breaking fellowship.
Level 3: Opinions
Third level doctrines are simply opinions on matters biblical and doctrinal, nothing more. They should never be the cause for a break in fellowship with another believer.
In 2024, our leadership team assembled a Pastor Search Team to find the individual whom God had chosen to lead the church in this next season. In April of 2025, our church agreed with the Pastor Search Team and unanimously selected Dr. Eric Chaffin as the new Lead Pastor.