Chris Weatherly, a Warner alumnus from the class of 2010, was recently promoted to head pastor at Christ Community Church in Winter Haven. He takes over the role from George Gasperson, who served Christ Community as lead pastor for fifteen years. Chris has been serving at Christ Community for many years, and we are proud of him and the work he is doing at his church. Throughout his career, he has displayed Warner’s mission statement by living a life of Christ-like character, intellectual maturity, and service.
Chris spent two years at Warner, transferring here from another Christian college. At the time, he was operating a ministry to high school and college students in Avon Park, so Warner felt like the natural choice location-wise. He majored in Biblical Studies, having a passion for teaching the Scriptures. He was a commuter student, was married and worked a full time job while at Warner, so he had a lot on his plate! In spite of this, he distinctly remembers his professors being a circle of support, helping him through this busy period of life. In contrast to other learning environments he had been in, Chris was amazed by the way his professors at Warner pushed him spiritually and academically. He said that they fostered an environment of deep understanding, where disagreements were okay, as long as you could articulate and defend your position biblically. These skills, Chris says, still help him every Sunday when he preaches. Chris graduated in January of 2010.
Immediately after graduation, Chris wasn’t able to find a job opening in ministry. He worked a food service job for a year and eight months until he found out about Christ Community Church, and that they were hiring a youth pastor. He was hired in the position in August 2011; this upcoming August will mark his fourteenth year working at Christ Community. His role at the church steadily grew, as more and more responsibilities were entrusted to him. About seven years into his career at Christ Community, his title changed from youth pastor to associate pastor. Chris was still overseeing the youth ministry, but he also took charge of adult discipleship and connections at the church.
As early as 2021, George was already planning for his future retirement with the board of directors at Christ Community. It was that year that the board approached Chris and asked him if he would be willing to take over the position of lead pastor after George’s retirement. It wasn’t until two years later, in 2023, that George officially set December 31, 2024 as his retirement date. In preparation for the transition, 2024 saw George entrusting Chris with more duties. By the end of the year, Chris was already accustomed to preaching nearly every Sunday, facilitating board meetings and leading staff meetings. On January 1, 2025, the change became official, and Chris stepped into the role of lead pastor.
Chris summarizes his vision for Christ Community Church’s future in one simple phrase: Everyone needs to take one more step closer to Jesus and reach one more person for Jesus. This directive encapsulates Chris’ desire to make Jesus the focus of every service and of every church goer’s life. He says when Christians take ownership of their faith in Jesus, the gospel goes out everywhere, and it doesn’t just stay in the four walls of a church. He wants to encourage an environment where people will live in a way where they don’t just go to church, they are the church. Practically, this will play out through a threefold focus. Chris wants Christ Community to be a place that emphasizes small groups, service and personal discipleship.
Chris’ servant heart and his commitment to fostering deeper relationships with Jesus among his congregation makes him a stand-out Warner alumnus. Congratulations to Chris and his new leadership position at Christ Community Church!
