Education

1975-1977 Glen Cove Bible College

Glen Cove, Maine

1977-1979 Calvary Bible College

Kansas City, MO. BS Degree

1991-1994 Empire State Baptist Seminary

Liverpool, NY. Diploma in Theological Studies.

Pastor Ellis is married to Sue Ellis and have five children, four of whom are now married and who all serve the Lord faithfully in their various locations scattered all over the United States. At present they are now blessed with 8 grandchildren with the emphasis on "at present"!

Upon Graduating from Bible College, Pastor Ellis began interim work in his home church in Camden, Maine, now Cornerstone Baptist Church. The church was a new work when he arrived. His ministry included preaching, teaching, counseling and helping in the drafting of a church constitution and doctrinal statement of faith. After spending some time with Cornerstone, he felt the urgency to get more theological training and more training with the original languages. He enrolled for three more years at the Empire State Theological Seminary in Liverpool NY, while also providing pulpit supply for area churches and working his way through seminary. After graduating from the Seminary, he spent some time with Pastor Merle Brown at the Calvary Baptist Church as an apprentice. He was later ordained at the Calvary Baptist Church in Preble NY. After his ordination, in the fall of 1995, Pastor Ellis was called to Pastor the Bible Baptist Church in Mt. Vision, NY, where he ministered until April of 2014.

Pastor Ellis has studied and practiced Biblical/Nouthetic counseling for twenty years, served as chairman for the DELSEGO Baptist Fellowship, and most recently, was Chaplain of the Otsego County Jail, in Cooperstown, NY.

All of this could not have been possible without the Lord's grace and strong arm! In addition to this, God was gracious to give Pastor Ellis a wonderful wife and friend, Sue, who has faithfully helped him though-out the many years of study and ministry lovingly encouraging him along the way. Pastor Ellis met Sue while attending the Glen Cove Bible College. He found a girl who loved God with all of her heart and came to realize that she was the one that God had sent to be his wife. Sue homeschooled their five children as well as maintaining a busy home, parsonage and church ministry. Sue has consistently been a constant source of strength and encouragement both to Pastor and to those in their ministry whom she came to love and befriend. A true help-meet!

In November of 2013, Pastor Ellis received correspondence from Berean Baptist Church in Manassas, VA, and a relationship with them began to unfold as they mutually saw the commonality of their goals and beliefs. After several trips to Manassas, Pastor began to see the reality of a new ministry unfolding. He was impressed with this little flock whose current under-shepherd, Pastor Robert Gower, had retired. As a church these dear folk were continuing to serve, faithfully attend, and in many ways reach out into the community with VBS and various programs. In August of 2014, the Berean Baptist Church unanimously called Pastor Ellis to be their new Pastor, to which he and Sue both assented to, knowing that it was truly of God.

Testimony of Pastor Christopher Ellis:

I grew up in the town of Darien, Connecticut, where I attended a congregational church with my mother, brother and sister. I never heard the Gospel and believed that God would take me to heaven, because I was basically a "nice guy". I had no concept of what sin was, and I conformed myself to please my parents -- outwardly at least. As I grew older I started the typical routine of wanting to be accepted by my peers and felt that the best way to win their approval was to be the class clown and get into trouble. I went to college at the urging of my parents but found that drugs were more exciting than classes. While at school I thought that 'Transcendental Meditation' would be the answer and became involved with that. While hitchhiking with some friends I was picked up by a couple who had just returned from a stint in Vietnam. This ex-Marine told me how the Lord Jesus had gloriously saved him and how he had been changed. He wanted me to have the same thing. I was really impressed with this but quickly forgot about it. After one year of college, a friend of mine convinced me to travel around the country with him. We took my VW Beetle and converted it into a live-in van and traveled for about a year. While in Oregon we went into a rescue mission, because we were out of money and food. It was there I again heard the Gospel message. This time a converted alcoholic stood up and told how a few weeks earlier the Lord had saved him and made him a new person. I never heard anything quite like it. I could not shake that clear testimony from my mind. After we continued our trip I kept telling my friend, "I think some day I am going to be a Christian." He laughed me to scorn, but I kept thinking of it. When we finally got back to Connecticut I told my parents that I was moving to Maine to establish and 'find' myself. By God's Providence I moved into an apartment in which my landlord was a born-again Christian. He witnessed to me right away, but I told him I did not want anything to do with this Christianity. His wife, however, would not listen and continually gave me tracts and invited me in for coffee and dinner. They would both give me the Gospel, and I would debate with them. Finally one night upon arriving in my apartment I came into my bedroom and thought about all of these things. I felt a compelling to pray and fell on my knees at my bedside and confessed to the Lord that I indeed was lost and a sinner. I could not see why a simple prayer would save me, but that night I came to realize and believe all that God had said in the Gospel. I simply called out to God and asked Him to save me. I did not think much of that prayer or what had happened.

I picked up my Bible the next morning (the one my landlord had given me) and started reading in the book of Romans. I felt a strong desire to read more and more and started taking it to work. About a week later, I was over at my landlord's home and my buddies stopped in and wanted me to go out partying with them. I told them I was not interested in that stuff anymore! They said, "What's the matter you got religion or something?" I said, "No, but I think religion has got me!" At that point my landlord shouted, "Hallelujah"! In mocking tones my buddies parroted his hallelujah then left. That was the end of those friends and the beginning of some new ones. My landlord then began the long task of discipleship. Little did I realize that in going to Maine to 'find' myself that God would find this sinner! I went to a Bible College one year later where I had met my wife, Sue, who had been praying for my salvation! At college I sensed God's call to pastoral ministry and here I am today. Praise be to His name for His great salvation of which I am unworthy to have yet possess by grace alone.