Rian Gittman, Pastor

Calvary Chapel of Deerfield Beach was started in May of 2006 in the living room of Rian and Joy Gittman. After a few months of meeting in their home, the church moved to its current location, in the banquet rooms of the Hilton hotel in Deerfield Beach.

Rian got his ministry start and experience as an attendee of Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale, under Pastor Bob Coy and a slue of other great men of God. His main fields of ministry were prayer and family ministry, although at one point or another, he served in almost every area possible.

Rian and Joy have been together for almost twenty years and have six beautiful children. For Rian and Joy, their lives are a testimony of God’s redemptive wonders. As a verse for their marriage, God had chosen Joel 2:25, “…I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…” Speaking of His marriage, Rian says, what in the world was broken down, weak and a testimony of the world’s wickedness so now is the wonder of God’s love and redemptive power and is whole, sweet, and wonderful. Rian also really enjoys Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, snake hunting, and the breeding of giant South American lizards called tegus.

Rian believes that family is the most important ministry and to have the largest church in the world but to not have his wife and children loving the Lord, life would then be a complete and utter failure. Numbers has never been of importance to Rian, but rather a quality of believers whose deepest desire is a real walk with the Lord of life. A great measure of the success of CCDB thus far has been that some of the lives of the people who attend our church have really been transformed by God’s power and not just shifted from one church to another in the hopes of finding the latest and greatest ear-tingler.

Rian’s teaching style is bold and un-diluted. His no-holds-barred, no-punches-pulled, approach borrows from his NYC streets upbringing. However, the evidence of God’s Word first is paramount and undeniable. If you enjoy the Bible and nothing but the Bible you will enjoy the heaping portions that are given out at all the services!. Rian believes that if some people don’t leave saying, “This is a hard word, who can hear it?”, then he does not have a ministry like the Lord’s. If you enjoy unadulterated, Biblically pure preaching, without the fluff and reconstituted life lessons, then you may really enjoy hearing Pastor Rian preach God’s Word.

Ministry Profile

Calvary Chapel of Deerfield Beach

• Senior Pastor, May 2006 to present
• Service as Biblical Counselor, May 2006 to present
• Service as Premarital Counselor, May 2006 to present

Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale

• Attendee, 1993 to June 2006
• Served as Biblical Counselor, May 1998 to June 2006
• Served as Premarital Counselor, November 2000 to June 2006
• Served as Deacon, October 2002 to June 2006
• Pastoral Intern, October 2004 to March 2006

Oversight Positions

• Sports Ministry, 1999 to May 2006
• New Believer’s Ministry, 1998 to June 2006
• Couples Leadership, 1999 to June 2006
• Prayer Ministry, 2000 to June 2006

Completed Educational Ministry Studies

• Tender Warriors - 1995
• Bible College – Living Water Ministries (2 year Diploma)- 1997
• Foundations of Faith Leadership Training - 1999
• Communications - 1999
• Biblical Counseling - 2000
• Biblical Counseling – Divorce and Restoration - 2002