Dr. Ed Newton became the Lead Pastor at Community Bible Church in January 2016. His calling includes evangelism, pastoring, teaching God’s Word, and connecting with people of all ages and cultures. Ed Newton is husband to his college sweetheart Stephanie and dad to London, Lola, Liv, and Lawson. It was amid adversity and major hardship during his high school years that Ed began his relationship with Christ. Because of his own radical salvation experience, he has the ability to meet people where they are and to minister to them during tough times. Through the encouragement of others and the study of scripture, as a senior in high school, Ed realized God was calling him to the ministry. He began his collegiate journey at Clearwater Christian College in Florida, then went on to earn master’s degrees in religious education and divinity, as well as a Doctorate in pulpit communication and expository preaching.

Ed has since served in various church staff positions, such as youth pastor, recreation pastor, and minister of outreach and single adults. He spent several years in a faith-based itinerant evangelism ministry. Just prior to coming to CBC, he concurrently held support roles as staff evangelist at First Baptist Church, Central Florida, acted as executive director of the Lift Tour, and taught as a faculty member at Student Leadership University in Orlando. Using all these experiences, God has uniquely gifted and prepared Ed to lead the people of CBC.