ABOUT US

Erich Siemens, Lead Pastor
Erich Siemens serves as the Lead Pastor of Calvary Chapel of the Springs (CCS). He began attending CCS in early 2004 and has been serving in his current role since January 2010.
 

Ministry Heart and Vision 

As Lead Pastor, Erich’s primary role is to faithfully feed God's flock through the verse-by-verse teaching of the Bible. Alongside the leadership team, he helps provide pastoral care, vision, and spiritual direction for the church. His central goal is to teach God's Word in an easy-to-understand way, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform hearts and build up the church. He summarizes his heart for ministry as striving to equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12).
A guiding principle for his life and ministry is Philippians 1:6. He loves this "life verse" because it emphasizes God’s faithfulness and confirms that "He's not finished with me yet!".

 

Calling and Testimony 

Erich grew up in a Christian home but truly understood the Gospel and became born-again at the age of 15. However, he later struggled with legalism, where his faith became a performance for God and others, turning his relationship with God into a "drudge than a delight". He eventually dropped out of church, became cynical, and gave up on his faith.

At age 27, wounded and worn down by a backslidden and rebellious lifestyle, he repented and turned back to God. He was immediately met with God's presence and was surprised at how willingly God accepted him, feeling like the returning prodigal son described in Luke 15:20-24. He rededicated his life to Jesus at that time and is grateful for the opportunity to serve Him.

Erich’s involvement in ministry grew incrementally. He started by serving as a puppeteer in the CCS children's ministry, then played guitar on the worship team. He progressed to co-leading a college Bible study before prayerfully saying yes to leading the youth group for about three years. He was asked to consider the role of Lead Pastor in the fall of 2009 by his former pastor, Terry Michaels, and stepped into the role in January 2010. 

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Background and Experience 

Erich holds no degrees but is grateful for scriptures like Acts 4:13 and 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. Previous roles that have helped shape him include; spending a year living in the Philippines while in high school, studying at a Bible college for one year in the UK, serving in the US Army for 3 years, working at a summer camp in Alaska as a program director, acting as a youth care worker at a youth shelter, and being an HEB warehouse employee for about six years. Erich is also a songwriter and has authored three albums: Simple Worship, A Few Little Melodies, and An Honest Ache.

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Family and Personal Life 

Erich is married to Bre, and they have been married for 4 years. They have one child, Willow Grace (18 months). Outside of ministry, his favorite hobbies and interests include songwriting, hiking, and shooting. A fun fact is that in 2003, he spent almost 5 months hiking on the Appalachian Trail, walking from Georgia to Vermont.