Brian Brodersen

Senior Pastor

Pastor Brian Brodersen grew up in Southern California. He became a Christian at age 22 and began attending Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, pastored by Chuck Smith. He met his wife, Cheryl, the youngest daughter of Pastor Chuck and Kay Smith, at a Bible study in Huntington Harbor. They were married on May 23, 1980, and have four grown children, five grandsons, and one granddaughter.

Brian served in youth ministry and taught Bible studies. Then in 1983, he and Cheryl moved to Vista, California, where he assumed the pastorate of Calvary Chapel Vista. During those years, he began traveling overseas, initially to Yugoslavia and Hungary, and this led to Calvary Chapel’s outreach to Eastern Europe. Many young men and women were sent out from California in those early days of ministry as pastors and missionaries, and currently there are numerous churches, Bible colleges, and retreat centers all over Western and Eastern Europe.

In 1996, the Brodersen family moved to London, England, to plant Calvary Chapel Westminster. The church began small, but God blessed the ministry, and thankfully, there are now dozens of affiliated Calvary Chapel churches throughout Great Britain.

In the year 2000, at the request of Pastor Chuck, the family returned to California to transition into the pastorate of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Brian began ministering alongside Pastor Chuck, as well as traveling and teaching at many conferences both nationally and internationally. Pastor Brian was elected to serve as senior pastor in October 2013.

Brian is known for his clear and challenging exposition of the Scriptures and can be heard daily on his Bible-teaching program, Back to Basics.

Born: 1956

On staff since: 2000

Favorite verse: “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).