Sunday Schedule

Meet Our Pastor

Pastor Chad Ripley grew up right here in San Antonio. He attended Elim Bible Institute in Lima, New York for a year and a half beginning in 1989, hoping to become a missionary like his grandparents who served in Madagascar for 38 years. Though he began pastoral training in New York State, his first sermon was preached in Ingram, Texas in 1990 and he fell in love with the Texas Hill Country. Life changes brought him into law enforcement rather than missionary work, and he finished a 29-year career with the San Antonio Police Department as a Police Detective in 2021. He graduated from Wayland Baptist University in 2014 and was ordained as a Minister in 2018. Pastor Chad has been preaching at Abundant Life as a guest speaker since 2016. His Dad, Pastor Gerald Ripley, asked him to preach more frequently as his health declined due to cancer. Pastor Ripley and the Church Elders finally asked Pastor Chad to take over as the lead Pastor of Abundant Life Church. We were heartbroken to lose Pastor Gerald Ripley in May of 2021, but it has helped our grief to have his son leading the church he founded. Pastor Chad still has a heart for our Nation's Warriors-Law Enforcement Officers and the Military (where his two children serve our Country in the Army and the Air Force). He returned to S.A.P.D. as a Police Chaplain, to offer encouragement and prayer for our City's Police Officers.

Our Elders

Leadership is shared by Pastor Chad and by our Elders, David Wells and Paul Mengel. Both David and Paul were in leadership with Pastor Gerald Ripley when he served as the Senior Pastor of Abundant Life. Pictured below is Elder David Wells and his wife Kathy, Pastor Gerald and Sharon Ripley, Linda Mengel and her husband, Elder Paul Mengel.