Youth Director - Wes Weber

Wes came to Calvary straight from Calvary Chapel Bible College at Murrietta California.

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Pastor Clay Ritter

Hi! My name is Clay Ritter, and I am the Sr Pastor of Calvary Chapel of Wilmington, located in Wilmington, NC. We are known as "the church that teaches through the bible" because of our emphasis on teaching verse-by-verse through the bible. I don't like to brag, but I think our church is awesome! We have a fantastic worship team, bible teaching that is relevant to our lives today, and a super group of people who love God and each other. We are excited about sharing the love of God to everyone we meet!

I have an incredible wife, Tammy, who has been my life partner for over twenty years, and who is also an exceptional bible teacher and leader of our women's ministry. I also have four fantastic kids: Carmen, Chelsea, Chandler, and Carrington (yes, they all start with "C". Don't ask me why).

I worked for twenty years in the telecommunications industry before going into the ministry. It wasn't a career choice: God called us from our life in Cary, NC, and transported us to Wilmington in a supernatural way! We moved here in 2001 to minister to the people of Wilmington through Calvary Chapel. Since that time God has proven Himself to be faithful in so many ways, meeting all of our needs over and above what we could ever think or imagine! We have made some terrific friends, and we have witnessed God perform miracle after miracle, saving the lost and rebuilding broken lives.

I hope you'll stop by our church and meet us. Whether you choose to worship with us, or one of the other fine churches in the Wilmington area, I pray the Lord will bless you and shine His face upon you.

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay

Pastor David Braden

I grew up in Illinois, Brenda in Oregon, and it was a path of many twists and turns to get the two of us connected in California! We entered into our marriage covenant in 1986 after she had agreed to my proposal for a life of adventure. Brenda claims that she scarcely comprehended the adventure that our life would be simply by saying those two little words (I do).

We had both been Christians for a number of years and determined to make God the center of our marriage. In order to make a good beginning, we structured our wedding vows around the instructions of scripture. After 226 months, we are convinced that this is the reason for our successful, growing relationship.

I had received a BS in Civil Engineering in 1966 from the U. of Missouri and was working as an engineer for GE at the time. I had also received a Master of Divinity from Golden Gate Seminary in 1972 and was an ordained pastor of a local church. This church met in our home for almost a decade.

Brenda was blessed with musical gifts and has played numerous instruments, e.g. bassoon, flute, guitar, piano. She taught piano to children for 14 years until our recent move to Wilmington, NC. I also had some musical inclinations, growing up in a musical family in which everyone played at least one instrument.

While on sabbatical several years ago, we began attending Calvary Chapel San Jose where Don McClure was pastoring. The emphasis on God’s Word and the presence of God’s Spirit in the worship kept us coming back until we felt confident that this was to be our church home.

Brenda became involved with the Praise team playing flute and singing. She also led the worship for two Women’s Bible studies which met Tuesday morning and evening. I became involved in the teaching ministry working principally with the mature adults class (50-95, they called themselves the “Sonshiners”) and a young marrieds class.

Even though we felt like we were settling into the San Jose Fellowship, in early 2004 we began to feel that God was leading us to a significant change…significant indeed…relocating from the West Coast to the East Coast. Little did we know what was in store for us in Wilmington, NC. We often felt like Abraham who was told to leave his homeland but was given no information regarding what he would encounter when he arrived at his destination. We knew there was a Calvary Chapel in Wilmington, but knew little else about the city or the people.

Upon arriving in Wilmington in early June, 2004, we began to attend Calvary Chapel and were very quickly welcomed into the fellowship by the warm hearts and open arms of the loving people in the fellowship. “We felt like family from the day we arrived”.

The next very shocking surprise was my early retirement, something we had not even considered when planning the move to the east coast. Nevertheless, God made it very clear that my engineering career of 37 years was soon to be ended. The retirement occurred almost 5 years in advance of my plan. But God had a bigger (and better) plan. One of my reoccurring supplications to God has been that I would rather be expending the main energy of my life teaching the Word of God than pouring it into the management of engineering projects which were quickly forgotten once completed. Now, God was giving me the desire of my heart.

After being in Wilmington for 15 months, we have begun the next season of our lives. I have come on staff as an associate pastor assisting Pastor Clay with the day-to-day operations of the church. Brenda has become very involved in several CCW ministries…Dance Team, Worship Team, hospitality/helps to mention a few.

We are glad to be in Wilmington where God wants us, doing what He wants us to do and all in his timing. We believe that it will only get better. What a joy it is to be in a loving, growing fellowship where the Word of God is taught and where dedicated Christians abound and are themselves growing from “glory-to-glory”. Looking back now over the 18 months that led us to this place in life, we are amazed at the Sovereignty of God and how he has orchestrated the events that have brought us to this place. His loving and merciful hand has been seen time and again as he has opened doors and brought us quickly to where He wants us to be. He is an awesome God.