Pastor Joe Holden was raised in Costa Mesa, California, graduating from Newport Harbor High School (class of 1984). By his senior year in high school, Joe received Christ into his heart through the persistent example and message of his mother, Doloris. He then moved on to Saddleback Community College to play baseball from 1984-86.  Soon after, he received a scholarship to play baseball at Vanguard University (Southern California College) from 1986-88. And after a brief time playing professional ball in Mexico (1991-92), Joe graduated from Western Illinois University with his Bachelor of Arts degree, and again from Calvary Chapel Bible College with his Bachelors degree in biblical studies. After graduation, Joe attended Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, NC, where he sat under the teaching of well-known professor and apologist Dr. Norman Geisler, graduating with his Master of Arts and the Master of Divinity in Apologetics.  By 1997, he began teaching theology and apologetics full-time at Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta (where he continues to teach part-time), and from 2005-2011 taught theology and ethics for Azusa Pacific University.

In 1998, Joe met and married his wife Theresa while attending Calvary Chapel North Coast in Carlsbad, California.   By 2002, their son David was born who is a graduate of Great Oak High School and is currently pursuing a construction trade career.  By 2004, Joe began his doctoral studies at the University of Wales in Lampeter (UK) where he graduated in 2011 with a PhD in Theology. By 2008, he was asked to join Dr. Norman Geisler in establishing an accredited graduate level Christian seminary in Orange County, California, Veritas International University (VIU) (www.ves.edu), where he currently serves as President and Professor of Theology and Apologetics.

Besides his new bi-vocational role as senior pastor of CCT (January 1, 2021) and President of VIU (2008), Joe continues to write books on theology and apologetics for major publishers such as Broadman & Holman, Zondervan, VIU Press, and Harvest House Publishers.  Some of his works include Living Loud: An Introduction to Apologetics for Students (2002, 2020), The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible (2013), The Apologetic Study Bible for Students (2010, 2017), Vital Issues in the Inerrancy Debate (2015), The Harvest Handbook of Apologetics (2019), The Harvest Handbook of Bible Lands (2020).  More recently, pastor Joe just completed The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith (2021) and The Ultimate Infographic Guide to the Bible (2023).  

Joe and Theresa have a passion for archaeology and the Bible, studying Scripture, Christian worship, beach activities, travel, cooking, and various kinds of spectator sports. Most of all, Joe enjoys equipping others and teaching the Bible verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter, and book by book.

Pastor Chad has been serving in ministry within the Calvary Chapel network of churches since 2000. He graduated Calvary Chapel Bible College in 2010 and began teaching there the following year. In addition to teaching at the Murrieta campus, Chad was on staff for the Conference Center from 2009 to 2021. In 2015 he was ordained by Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa to be one of the on-site pastors.

In 2009, Chad met Tamara and by April 2010 they were married by none other than Pastor Joe Holden himself. Today they live in Murrieta where Tamara is a high school English teacher and Chad operates their construction and development company.
Chad and Tamara have a burden for at risk youth and people struggling with addictions. In 2014 they started a 501c3 non-profit known as Fully Restored Ministries. The ministry is geared to help people struggling with addictions, find freedom from that bondage through a relationship with Jesus Christ and then to be practically prepared to become productive members of society once again.
In addition to the joy they receive in serving the Lord and His people, Chad and Tamara also enjoy sailing and experiencing God’s creation while out in the ocean.

Pastor Dan was ordained in 2019 and has faithfully served in various areas of the church. This included pastoring the college and career ministry of young adults, shaping the faith of our Jr. high and high school youth, and is currently directing the men's ministry. In addition, pastor Dan also serves as Assistant Pastor and is on the CCT Board of Directors.

Pastor Dan also hosts and teaches the scriptures in his Sunday afternoon home group. He and his wife Sheri both serve in our hospitality ministry and occasionally in the children's ministry. 

Pastor Layne has faithfully served our youth, men, and Board of Directors for many years.   He and his wife Claudette have 3 wonderful children and 2 beautiful granddaughters. They enjoy being on the water, fishing, and hanging out with their family and friends!

Pastor Leo was born in Detroit, Michigan and Cheryl in Norman, Oklahoma.  They met in 1979 in Phoenix, Arizona at church, and married in 1981.  They have three adult children and four grandchildren.  Leo and Cheryl both came to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord at the age of 15.   Over the past half century, they have been blessed to serve the Lord in children's, youth, and adult ministries.   Leo has a degree in Business Management/Organizational Leadership, and attended Calvary Chapel Bible College from 1999-2002.  Their family spent 11 years as Calvary Chapel missionaries in Scotland, and returned to Southern California in 2015.   The Lord called them to come and "roll up their sleeves" to serve God's people at CCT in early 2022.  

Leo's interests are Jesus, family, bible study, bible languages, Israel, ancient bible and world history, archeology, church ministry, classic cars, art, water sports, the beach, gardening, and music.  Leo's life verse is "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:13

Cheryl's interests are Jesus, family, relationships, and home life.  Cheryl's life verse is "Be still and know that I am God..."   Psalms 46:10

Pastor James was born in Covina California and moved to the Murrieta valley in 1995 with his family. After receiving Christ at 18 years old while attending a local church, he very quickly became involved with the youth ministry. Soon after, James attended Calvary Chapel Bible College in 2008-2009 where he met his beautiful wife Christian and were married in 2010. Today, they have four wonderful children. For the past 13 years, James has accumulated much experience in various pastoral positions including serving as a church youth minister in southern California, assistant pastor and interim senior pastor at Calvary Chapel Downeast in Maine.  Currently, pastor James is serving as a teacher and mentor with our youth ministry. In addition, his extensive knowledge in construction and safety is being utilized in his role as our Facilities Manager.   Christian serves in the CCT worship ministry.

Pastor Matt Enterline has been involved with ministering to children since he was 13 years old as a Sunday school teacher and camp counselor where he grew up at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. He has been in full-time ministry since 2004 as a children’s ministry pastor and associate pastor and teaches at conferences and Bible Colleges.

Matt co-oversees, with Pastor Larry, the ministry of Calvary Curriculum (calvarycurriculum.com) which creates Bible curriculum and trainings for those who minister to children in Jesus' name. Every year Calvary Curriculum puts on a Children’s Ministry Conference for children’s ministry teachers, leaders, and pastors (cccm-conference.com). Matt also co-oversees, with Pastor Larry, Calvary Posters (calvaryposters.com) with the goal of bringing amazing Biblical art that can hang in your church, school, or home.

Matt and his wife, Sarah, live in Temecula, California with their two sons, Lochlann and Declan.

Pastor Dan attended Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta, CA from 1980-1982, then served as a missionary to England, Europe, Eastern Europe, and India.  He was ordained by Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa in 1987, then subsequently invited on staff at Calvary Chapel of Honolulu, Hawaii from 1990-2004 as worship pastor.  Pastor Dan taught courses at Calvary Chapel Bible College from 2004-2014 and served on staff with Calvary Chapel Bible Fellowship in Temecula, CA from 2006-2016.  Currently, he oversees the musical worship ministry here at Calvary Chapel Temecula.

After Blade received Christ at 17-years old, the Lord developed in him a heart, passion, and mind for the Scriptures and apologetics. Over the years, he has fostered a desire to equip Christian youth with Biblical answers for the tough questions they will encounter in the world and at school. Blade also has a God given passion for reaching the lost in every day conversations and enjoys speaking with a variety of people which has provided him with real-world experience and the opportunity to model and share Christ with others. When Blade is not at church he enjoys fishing and riding motorcycles.

Julie became the church secretary in April of 2020 and has called CCT her church home since 1994.   She oversees the Greeting Ministry and CCT Women's Ministry while also serving with the hospitality and cleaning ministries.  In 1980, she graduated from CSU, Chico with a BS in Dietetics. She married Brian in 1987. They are blessed with their family, Jennifer, Robert, Robert’s wife, Katie and their sweet dog, Indy. They home schooled from 1994-2012 and Julie became the Secretary, then the Administrator of Calvary Murrieta Christian Academy from 1999-2019.

Julie enjoys her job as church secretary. Her passions are relationships, organization, design, health and of course God and His Word. She loves hanging out with her family, getting together with friends, traveling, shopping and eating yummy food.