Items of Interest
Staff
Senior Pastor: Steve Sandoval
steve@calvaryheartland.org
Steve Sandoval served for nearly 20 years as an L.A. and Orange County Firefighter/Paramedic, working first for the Inglewood Fire Dept and later on with the Costa Mesa Fire Department. He served in some of the toughest “hoods” in Southern California. By the age of 19 he was a fully certified LA County Paramedic and was exposed to the daily violence that plagues the streets of LA. He became a firefighter at age 21 and fought both structure fires and wild land fires. From hatchets to the head, to gunshot wounds to the chest, to fighting fire all night long during the “LA riots”, there isn’t much that Steve hasn’t seen. He has witnessed much tragedy and suffering and God has used it to help make him the pastor that he is today.
In 1986 Steve came to know Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior. He began to have a hunger for the Word of God and began to attend Calvary Chapel North Coast in Encinitas, Calif. In 1989, while still working as a fireman, Steve began to serve as a missionary in Mexico, by 1990 he was leading teams to Mexico on missions. In 1992 He began to lead a home Bible study and it began to grow and he then enrolled in the School of Ministry at CC Costa Mesa in 1993. That same year Steve became an assistant Pastor at CC Cardiff-By-The-Sea while still working as a firefighter.
Hearing God's call to go and plant a church, in 1997 Steve resigned from his position with the Fire Department and moved his family to the heart of Georgia to plant a Calvary Chapel. Steve has been Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Heartland since May of 1997. Pastor Steve and his wife Cindie have been married for nearly 23 years and they have been blessed with four children, Amanda, Daniel, Samuel and Emily.
Life verse Proverbs 3:5-6
Assistant Pastor: Ebo Elder
ebo@calvaryheartland.org
Ebo Elder began boxing at two years old and his career spanned over 25 years. He was the silver medalist in the 1998 Goodwill Games World Championships and had a #5 pro world ranking. As a pro he won the IBA, NABO and WBO championships and competed on the second season of the ESPN reality show the "Contender".
After the Lord led Ebo out of boxing at the beginning of 2007, Ebo began traveling the country sharing his testimony and teaching God's Word. Although he spoke at nearly every denomination, a strong connection became quickly evident with the Calvary Chapel movement. Early in 2008, while speaking at a Calvary Chapel youth retreat, Ebo met the Calvary Chapel Heartland youth group. It wasn't long before Sam Sandoval, Pastor Steve's son, asked his dad if Ebo could come speak at the church. Over the next year Ebo spoke at CCH on several occasions, including a Sunday morning service and began building a strong friendship with Pastor Steve, the CCH staff and the congregation. As Ebo's traveling schedule continued to fill up, he and his wife, Amy, began to feel the leading of the Lord to limit his travels and serve the Lord at a local church or ministry.
Then, December 9, 2009 Pastor Steve ordained Ebo, recognizing and affirming the call of God in his life. As Ebo continued to travel frequently, he and Amy kept their eyes open for the Lord to open the door to the next season of ministry. Then, on February 5, 2010 Pastor Steve and Ebo had coffee at a Huddle House in Locust Grove, Georgia. It was on that morning that Steve invited Ebo to come serve at CCH as Assistant Pastor and Student Pastor. Although Ebo was honored, he agreed with Steve that he and Amy should pray and allow God to lead them, so as to fulfill His perfect will in their lives. So, they would continue to wait patiently and trust that God would confirm this move in their lives.
Over the next 3 months the Lord continued to confirm this to be His perfect will for them. He was faithful to open and shut doors and on June 2, 2010 Ebo, Amy, Mattie, Abbie, Gabbie and Addie made the 2 hour move to Warner Robins and began serving here at Calvary Chapel Heartland. With a commitment to faithfully serving the Lord here at CCH, Ebo is determined to see Central Georgia reached with the Word of God, equipped and built up as the body of Christ and sent out to fulfill the great commission.
If you would like more information on Ebo Elder, please take a look at www.ebotribe.net.
Office Attendant
Patty Lester ::: pat@calvaryheartland.org
Office Hours are Tuesday - Friday, 9 am - 5 pm