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Michael A. Bennett is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Windsor.

He has been in pastoral ministry for over a decade, having been in his current role since August of 2023.
I was born in Long Beach, CA and spent my early years moving throughout Southern California — eventually settling in Lakewood, where I spent my middle and high school years. I’m deeply thankful for my grandmother, who first introduced me to what a relationship with God looks like when I was just five years old. Through her influence, God planted early seeds of faith and taught me the value of daily prayer. Although I later chose to pursue a life of sinful, selfish living: God never let me go!  He graciously brought me to saving faith in Jesus around my senior year of high school...  it was a life-changing encounter that opened my eyes to the depth of my own sin and stirred in me a deep desire to know God through His Word and walk in fellowship with His people.

Soon after coming to Christ, I joined a men’s Bible study where my passion for Scripture deepened, and others began encouraging me to pursue pastoral ministry. I was at first hesitant to accept that God would call a wretched like me into pastoral ministry, but God continued to confirm that calling through my daily reading of Scripture. I soon after had the privilege of attending Calvary Chapel Bible College at several of its campuses — Temecula, California;  York, England;  and Mallorca, Spain (graduating with an Associate of Theology).  

After graduation, I served on staff at the Temecula campus, where I was blessed to meet and begin dating Alyssa (my now wife). I was sent out by the Bible College to help lead one semester at the extension campus in Jerusalem, Israel...  during that time Alyssa and I continued to grow our relationship long distance. After that semester ended, we reunited at the Mallorca campus, where we were able to continue building our relationship in person. While in Mallorca, I was given the opportunity to pray about becoming the Senior Pastor of a Calvary Chapel church plant in Dominical, Costa Rica. After seeking the Lord’s will, I accepted the call, and my home church (Calvary Chapel Hot Springs, led by Pastors Dave Shirley and Joe Holden) ordained me as a pastor ~ and off I went!  😇   

Alyssa and I got married about five months after I moved to Costa Rica, and she joined me for a wild adventure, literally living in the middle of the jungle. For a handful of reasons, we left Costa Rica later that December and returned to California, where Alyssa gave birth to our oldest son, surrounded by the love and support of our extended families.

The next step in our journey led us to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where I served as Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Fayetteville, originally founded by my pastor, Dave Shirley. During my five-year pastorate, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies. I later stepped down to prayerfully pursue a Master of Divinity, seeking God’s direction for my next steps to both pastor a local church and also teach in a college setting every now and then.

During this season, I explored several secular professions and served in various ministry roles, yet faced repeated obstacles in my seminary pursuit. Over those four years, I completed only a few seminary credits and came to understand that God was leading me to pause my pursuit of a Master’s degree.  It was the closest I've heard to an audible voice from God telling me to, "stay in my lane"...  focusing on my family and ministry, trusting in His timing to resume Seminary at a later season of life. 

During the first week of June in 2023, I received a call inviting me to pray about interviewing for the Senior Pastor role at Calvary Chapel Windsor. After a weekend visit, my family and I fell in love with the church and the community. The church board offered me the role, which we joyfully accepted.

I believe in the absolute authority and sufficiency of Scripture, and I long to see God glorified in the church through sound doctrine and faithful shepherding. My heart is to serve God’s church by faithfully teaching the Bible verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter, and by coming alongside people through life’s challenges with biblical guidance and prayer. My philosophy of ministry has been shaped by works such as On Being a Pastor by Alistair Begg and Living Water by Chuck Smith.

I’ve been married to my beautiful and incredibly supportive wife, Alyssa, since 2013. We have two (soon to be three!) fun and loving kids. When I’m not at church or in study, I enjoy spending time with my family, playing games, lifting weights, and getting outdoors for a good hike or walk.


You can reach me at:   Michael@CalvaryWindsor.org