Meet Dr. Bryan Chapell
In my early years in ministry, I often sought to compel obedience by haranguing people into guilty or fearful submission to God’s standards. Then, the Lord crushed my pride with the reality of my humanity and healed my heart with the compelling power of his unlimited grace. Since that time, everything that I have preached, taught, or written has aimed at helping pastors and lay people discover how the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that pervades Scripture touches all of life to ignite the joy that is our strength.
This website continues the project of shining the sweetness and power of grace into every aspect of life by providing accessible resources for pastors, pastors in training, and lay leaders. These Bible-study resources, sermon examples, and training courses will help you see and share how all Scripture contributes to understanding the grace God provides for lives of faith and fulfillment.
The Bible is not simply a book of rules and rituals, but a revelation of the heart of an infinite God showing intimate care for flawed and broken people. Within this site you will discover how to reveal that heart in ways that accurately interpret every portion of Scripture, providing spiritual strength for today and hope for eternity. My goal is to take away the fear that you cannot know what the Bible says or need to sound like a Pharisee to proclaim its truths with boldness. I want to show you how God’s grace is so good that it will capture your heart, enabling and motivating a life of faith in your family, work, worship, and rest. I invite you to enter this site and taste how good is the grace that will make God’s heart your own.
Below you’ll find a selection of aspects of my ministry that I am fond of and a little more about me as well.
Writing
Explore the books written by Dr. Chapell, including devotionals, Biblical commentaries, ministry training texts, and theological education.
Training
Receive biblically-based training from Bryan Chapell with on-demand classes. These seminary-level courses will equip you to continue to serve well at home and in ministry.
Bryan’s Life & Ministry
1970s & 1980s
Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University, received a Master of Divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary, and a PhD in speech communication from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Pastored two congregations in Southern Illinois before joining Covenant Theological Seminary as professor of preaching in 1985.
Met his wife Kathy during his tenure as pastor of a rural congregation in Southern Illinois. The two were married in 1978.
1990s & 2000s
Served as Dean of Faculty and Executive Vice-President of Covenant Theological Seminary.
Became President and later Chancellor of Covenant Theological Seminary, serving in those leadership capacity for the next two decades.
Authored his seminal work Christ-Centered Preaching, first published in 1994 and winning Preaching magazine’s Book of the Year Award.
2010s & 2020s
Called as Senior Pastor of the historic Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Peoria, Illinois in 2013. Continued to preach, write, and minister through 2020 when he was made Pastor Emeritus.
Appointed Stated Clerk Pro Tempore of the PCA and in 2021 was elected as the Stated Clerk (i.e., Chief Administrative Officer), a position he continues to hold.
My entire ministry has been made possible by generous financial support from friends like you who want the goodness of God's grace to be widely heard and known. Here are just a few of the ways we continue to proclaim the Gospel message today through your support:
Radio Messages broadcast around the world daily.
Books written on a variety of topics from personal devotions to training for seasoned pastors.
Podcast episodes to encourage and equip you in your faith.
Preaching Courses in multiple languages for training pastors across the globe.
Your gift will help to equip pastors all over the world to preach Christ-centered messages of grace and hope.
Please use the form below to reach out to the team at Unlimited Grace with your questions or comments.