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.

Everything I believe and know about God is based on His Word. I am striving to lead our church to base our faith and beliefs on the Bible alone, not on human traditions. In the sermons I preach and the lessons I teach, I simply try to communicate what the Bible says, and show how it applies to our contemporary lives. If you are looking for a church where you can learn about God through His Word, Bayou View is where you need to be. At our church, we are striving to make disciples through teaching the Word of God (Matthew 28:18-20).

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.

David DeFazio, Pastor for Administration and Children’s Ministry

The Lord has given us a great responsibility to disciple the coming generations, telling them of the glorious deeds of the Lord, His might, and the wonders that He has done. The reality of God’s amazing grace and His mercy should compel us to testify of these great things. It was God’s grace that saved a wretch like me in 1999. I had just left the Mississippi Gulf coast when the Lord convicted me of my sinful state through sound gospel proclamation. As I began to study God’s word, I knew that it was important for me to share the truth I was learning with others that had not heard. 

The Lord gave me the opportunity to minister to the homeless in center city, Philadelphia, PA. I met my wife, Sonya, and we were married in 2005. The Lord gave me the perfect person to minister side by side with. We have two boys, Noah and Caleb. Together, we have enjoyed a life of ministry. In 2015, our family moved to the other side of the World. We spent three years in the Philippines, learning Tagalog, evangelizing unbelievers, and making disciples. While we were in the Philippines, I decided to enroll at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and pursue my MDiv. The Lord brought us back to the States, specifically to Gulfport, MS. We owned a home here. My family still lives here on the Gulf Coast as well. Bayou View Baptist Church has embraced us well. We are so thankful to have this wonderful opportunity to continue making disciples and pointing them to Christ, who is the author and perfecter of our faith.

Jane Loflin, Secretary