Growing up in the Seattle area, Dr. Christopher “Chris” Atwood says he was a skeptic and never imagined himself becoming a minister. That changed dramatically when he attended a Young Life Camp, expecting to jet ski and meet girls, but instead discovering what he describes as the unconditional love of Jesus.
“I pivoted from my original law and political science ambitions and took a risk on Christianity,” he reveals. That decision led him through a series of educational and ministerial paths, before ultimately bringing him to Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church in Coronado as its new pastor.
While earning his undergraduate degree at Whitworth College in Spokane, he met his wife Jenn, who was also a ministerial student. He then went on to seminary school at Princeton and studied in Germany before completing his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology at Wheaton College.
“Even after 14 years of schooling, I never thought I would become a pastor and had planned to teach,” he says. When an opportunity came up in an old cathedral in downtown Miami, with six church members, he decided it was a good place to start and spent a decade as a pastor building a congregation, which grew to around 1,000 members. He served at a church in San Clemente before moving to Ohio, where he pastored a congregation of more than 1,400 members who worshiped in what he says is the nation’s largest built Amish barn.
With no plans to leave, when the call came from Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church, he initially declined before asking God for guidance. He shares that he made a secret visit to Coronado and spent time in contemplation at the beach and by the bay. His aha moment came when he popped into Coronado Brewing Company to see if the beer was on par. Seated next to him was Bill, a member of the Graham Memorial congregation, who recognized him from watching his sermon videos and commented that the church was praying that he would decide to be their new pastor.
“All the stars aligned with the right position, place for our kids, proximity to family, weather, and opportunities galore,” he comments. He and his family are adjusting to life on the second and third floors of the Manse on the Graham Memorial property. He has discovered a secret entrance through the roof where he can enjoy the best sunset views on the island. It’s not unusual to find him practicing soccer drills with his son on the grass. Atwood grew up playing soccer, and son Theo, who is eight, shares that same passion. His ten-year-old daughter Grace adores dance. Jenn will be on staff at the church as Director of Youth Ministry. The couple is excited to be working together again and Atwood says that one of the passions of the church is children’s and youth ministry.
Graham Memorial has been part of Coronado history since the early 1890s when Isabella Graham Babcock, wife of E.S. Babcock (co-founder of the Hotel del Coronado), had it built in memory of her father and mother. For over a century, it has had more than a dozen pastors, with the most recent, Reverend David McElrath presiding for 30 years.
Ken Ireland, retired Navy Aviator and long-time Coronado resident, says that the process to hire a new pastor began with a Mission Study, where six members looked at self-assessments, demographics, and did a congregation survey to determine the valued traits, theological style, and desired direction of the church.
The profile was uploaded to the National Presbyterian Church online system, from which they received approximately 100 resumes. The committee narrowed the field to 20 applicants, conducted reference checks, did initial short interviews, selected 10 candidates, and ultimately invited five for on-site visits. During this three-year period, the church had two interim pastors.
They started talking to Atwood last October and he visited in December. “We saw that Chris was super relational from the start,” said Ireland. After preaching on May 13, the congregation voted to offer him the position. His first official sermon was Sunday, July 19, and he was heading to his first staff meeting after our interview. With lots of connections to make both within the church and throughout the community, he is already involved with a golfing group, one of his passions, that tees off at 6 am.
“My number one goal is to focus on relationships and make the church a safe place where everyone is equal. I have found that the average person isn’t average once you get to know them. I feel privileged to be part of people’s lives. Being a pastor is more than a job to me, it’s my calling,” he emphasizes. “My DNA brings energy and I can’t wait to meet all the diverse groups. Every church has its own unique rhythm, and we can all work together to see what God is calling us to do, which requires humility, openness, and courage to move forward.”
For more information about Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church, visit gmpc.org.
