The Pastor
Pastor Christopher Eckels
Christopher C. Eckels trusted Christ as his Saviour when he was 21 years old and surrendered to serve God in a missions conference in 1987. Through much prayer and studying the Word of God he began to sense God’s call to full time ministry, which lead him to attend Bible College. Having worked in the inner city of Philadelphia, PA for 10 years, God would call and lead Pastor Eckels to Australia as an Independent Baptist Church Planter.
Pastor Eckels would serve as an assistant at Shoalhaven Baptist Church in Bomaderry, NSW for 2 1/2 years before founding Westside Baptist Church Deer Park, Victoria. A love for people and a passion for teaching God’s Word is what our Pastor has brought to the Westside area.
Pastor Eckels currently holds:
Masters in Ministry and Leadership
Advance Diploma in Counselling and Family Therapy
Pastor Eckels and his wife Yolanda are blessed with four children: Rischala, Rachel, Jeremiah, Noah.
The Assistant Pastor
Pastor Mark Escaner
Mark Escaner was saved at the age of 9 years old in Manila, Philippines, through his parents sharing the gospel to him. Two years later, they migrated to Melbourne, Australia and faithfully attended an independent Baptist church. During the Asia-Pacific Missions Conference 2002 held in Sydney, he heeded the call to be trained in the ministry. He is a graduate of Sydney Baptist Bible College in 2005 and holds a Graduate Diploma in Theology. Mark is married to Claudine and have three children, Mark-Caleb, Abigail and Matthew.