Eric Chappell, Pastor
I was born and raised in San Diego. I’m married to Katie and Papa to Enoch, Eunice, Elsie Jo, and Ephraim “Remy.” For the past 25 years, I've called North County San Diego home. I love this place and never want to leave. When you love something, you want to share it. I do this all the time with movies I love, restaurants I enjoy, and as most of my friends know: talking about CrossFit. Sharing something consummates the enjoyment of it.
In 2016, another local friend and I began talking about our love for coastal North County and our desire to see more gospel-centered, historically-rooted, and outward-facing churches in the area. In Oceanside alone there are 175k people in a place that is vastly under-churched. We love North County and want to share the good news of Jesus with the people of this place. We want them to know and experience that they are forgiven and free by God's grace.
After serving as an assistant pastor at two churches of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) in both Escondido and Orange County, our family discerned with the help of our friends, mentors, and denomination that it was time to begin to respond to God's call to start a new church. I was commissioned by our denomination in January 2022 to plant a church in coastal North County and we remain under the oversight of several pastors/elders in SD and Orange County. We're calling it El Camino Presbyterian because we know that Jesus is the only way to experience the life, happiness, and wholeness that we were created for.
I’m a regular at a local CrossFit gym, host a book club, and can often be found near Tower 8 in Oceanside.