Pastors
Dr. Chris King, Pastor
My Core Convictions and Calling
My convictions are founded on the belief that the Bible is God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16). Because it comes from God, the Bible is without error, is the final and ultimate authority for our lives, and provides all that we need to know about salvation and serving God (2 Timothy 3:17). My calling in life and in the church is to preach and teach God’s Word. I think that help for any issue people face can be found in the Bible. It addresses man’s greatest need (salvation and reconciliation with God), and helps us deal with any other problems that confront us.
A Short Biography
I was born on February 29, 1976, and grew up in a small rural town in West Virginia. I became a Christian while attending Fairview Baptist Temple, and was heavily influenced for good by many of the people in that church. I went to college at West Virginia University (Go Mountaineers!) where I developed a love for history. I was a political science and history major who was planning on going to Law School (at WVU of course!). My last year in college I felt strongly compelled to preach God’s Word. I then began preaching and committed to going to Seminary.
I went to Southwestern Seminary (Fort Worth, TX) for one year. While on my first Christmas break from Seminary I had my first date with Jennifer Lane, and promptly fell deeply in love with her. I soon transferred to Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky (to be closer to Jennifer). This was a great turn of God’s providence for me, in that so many of the professors at Southern made a powerful impact on my life (and taught me how to study and teach God’s Word). In May of 2002, Jennifer and I were married and lived in Louisville while I pursued my Ph. D. In 2006, after finishing my Ph. D., Bayou View Baptist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi called me to be their pastor. God blessed us with our first child, Gideon, in 2008.
Michael Benson, Music Minister
I am a sinner saved by God’s free gift of grace in Christ Jesus, our Lord. One of my desires in ministry is to fulfill 1 Peter 4:10 which states, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” I hope to use what God has graciously given me to serve His kingdom, specifically by pointing people to His greatness and calling for us to respond to Him in faith, repentance, and praise. I also hope to give members here the opportunity to use their gifts in service.
I moved to Gulfport in May 2005 to work at Bayou View Baptist as leader of the music ministry. My wife, Samantha, and I were married on November 19 of the same year. I love her and hope to be the husband that Ephesians 5:25 calls me to be. We have two sons, Elliot and Davis, that keep us on our toes. If you are looking for a great church home, we have found one here and I believe you and your family will find the same.