Profile: James ‘Paul’ Chapman
James “Paul” Chapman, pastor of Beckley Praise Church, is licensed as a Pentecostal minister.
But before Chapman began pastoring BPC in April 2007, he was a traveling preacher who delivered the good news at any church.
“I went into all denominiations and preached, whether it be a Baptist, Church of God, Pentecostal, Methodist,” he said. “We were invited to a lot of pulpits.”
Chapman said the gospel message (Christ died to give eternal life to everyone) and the needs of people don’t have denominational barriers.
“The message that I found I preached a lot while I was an evangelist was the message I titled, ‘When Jesus Passes By,’” said Chapman. “I found that while I was evangelizing, there were a lot of hurting people that were down and out, that just needed to know that Jesus was the same as He was when He walked on earth.
“He is still here today to take care of our needs and our concerns today,” he said. “All (people) have to do is turn it over to God and let God take care of it.”
At first, Chapman said, more seasoned ministers told him that he wouldn’t be successful as an evangelist if he didn’t preach within his own denomination.
“Instead of sticking to one denomination, I felt like God was calling me to go out and spread love and unity in the body of Christ,” said Chapman, referring to the Christian church-at-large. “I’m not one of these people who think my church is the only one or my denomination is the only one.
“All (denominations) are an important part in spreading the gospel,” he said. “Even though we all may believe a little different, we’re all still the body of Christ, and we should be promoting unity.”
When Chapman was a child growing up in Raleigh County, his parents, Robert and Connie Chapman, always had their kids attend church.
Although his parents weren’t Christians when he was a child, Chapman’s mom often drove him and his four brothers to Maynor Freewill Baptist Church or sent them to church on a church bus.
Chapman said he didn’t protest.
“There was a drawing from me, because it just seemed like church is where I found the most peace for some reason, growing up,” he said. “The pastor at one point said, ‘I could see you being a preacher when you get older.’
“I laughed it off and said, ‘There’s no way.’”
At age 12, Chapman said he accepted Christ as his personal savior and entered a relationship with God.
After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1985, he entered the U.S. Army. Chapman spent four years at Fort Hood, Texas, before heading to Garlstedt, Germany.
During his time in the military, he said, his relationship with God faltered.
“I knew I had God’s protection over me, but I just wasn’t living for God like I needed to be,” Chapman recalled. “Every night, I prayed, but I knew I just wasn’t where I needed to be.
“There was just a void there. I wasn’t feeling complete.”
After leaving Germany, he returned to West Virginia and spent four years in the West Virginia Army National Guard.
“When I came back to West Virginia, I knew where the void was, and I immediately just surrendered everything over to God,” he said.
In 1991, Chapman attended a Christmas program at Cranberry Community Church.
One particular congregant immediately caught his eye, he remembered.
His future wife, Cecilia, was in charge of the program.
“She was just so ... I can’t explain it,” said Chapman. “She was so captivating that I was like, I’ve got to know who this is.”
Chapman called a friend who attended church with Cecilia and asked for an introduction.
“I met her and her son, Robbie,” said Chapman. “He was a good kid. We hit it off very well.”
The couple began dating in January and were married the following July.
In 2000, Chapman was working at WJLS AM 560, a Christian radio station. During his stint at WJLS, he was ministering to youth but felt the call to begin preaching, he said.
“In 2003, I really felt the calling of God upon my life to do more than just teach children, just reach teenagers,” he said. “I was feeling the call to minister on a broader range.”
Cecilia — who Chapman says is a “pretty good preacher herself” — told Chapman to “quit running and go ahead and answer the call God has placed on your life,” he said.
Over the next three-and-a-half years, Chapman said, he spoke at churches of different denominations about the love of Christ.
“I have found that when I told God I would go wherever He wants me to go, regardless of the denomination, God opened the doors for me,” said Chapman.
When he began pastoring Beckley Praise Church in 2007, Chapman said he kept his belief that different denominations are all part of one body of believers.
He said the greatest message he believes Christ is sending to the world is, “Get ready.”
“You do that by accepting Jesus as your savior,” he said. “A lot of times people want to say, ‘If I’m a Christian, I have to give up a whole lot of stuff, I have to dress a certain way. You know, it ain’t about that. It’s about getting our hearts right. It doesn’t matter what you wear, it doesn’t matter how long your hair is or how short it is.
“It’s about having a right relationship with Jesus Christ and communicating with Him on a daily basis.”
Chapman said Beckley Praise Church is a “vibrant church” of around 60 people.
“We believe that we live up to the name of the church,” he said. “We love to praise the Lord.”
The church welcomes visitors, and Chapman has remained true to his open denominational roots.
Twice a month, ministers from various denominations are invited to speak, he said.
“I have a different minister, just whoever God tells me to get,” he explained, “I bring ministers in who will preach.”
Chapman said that women ministers play an important role in the work of the gospel, and Christian women ministers are often invited to preach at Beckley Praise Church.
“God is calling all to preach his word, whether they be male or female,” he said. “I fully support women ministering in the pulpit.
“There is so much work that it’s going to take all of us to proclaim the gospel,” he said.
Chapman also works as a supervisor for Raleigh County Home Confinement.
He said he supervises individuals who are “trying to get back into society from being either in jail or in trouble with the law.”
Chapman said he enjoys working with his clients in the program.
“There are opportunities that I can minister even on the job,” he said. “They need direction, and I have found that I have been able to do that, and it has been very successful in changing peoples’ lives.”
Chapman said Beckley Praise Church, located at 250 Elm Street, welcomes visitors. BPC Sunday service is at 11 a.m., and Wednesday classes for all age groups begin at 7 p.m. Sunday school classes meet at 10 a.m.
On the second and fourth Friday of each month, BPC hosts ministers from other churches.
He said BPC also offers a Youth Explorer Club for kids on Wednesday evenings.
More information is available at www.ourchurch.com/member/b/beckleypraise or by calling Chapman at 304-573-4009.
But before Chapman began pastoring BPC in April 2007, he was a traveling preacher who delivered the good news at any church.
“I went into all denominiations and preached, whether it be a Baptist, Church of God, Pentecostal, Methodist,” he said. “We were invited to a lot of pulpits.”
Chapman said the gospel message (Christ died to give eternal life to everyone) and the needs of people don’t have denominational barriers.
“The message that I found I preached a lot while I was an evangelist was the message I titled, ‘When Jesus Passes By,’” said Chapman. “I found that while I was evangelizing, there were a lot of hurting people that were down and out, that just needed to know that Jesus was the same as He was when He walked on earth.
“He is still here today to take care of our needs and our concerns today,” he said. “All (people) have to do is turn it over to God and let God take care of it.”
At first, Chapman said, more seasoned ministers told him that he wouldn’t be successful as an evangelist if he didn’t preach within his own denomination.
“Instead of sticking to one denomination, I felt like God was calling me to go out and spread love and unity in the body of Christ,” said Chapman, referring to the Christian church-at-large. “I’m not one of these people who think my church is the only one or my denomination is the only one.
“All (denominations) are an important part in spreading the gospel,” he said. “Even though we all may believe a little different, we’re all still the body of Christ, and we should be promoting unity.”
When Chapman was a child growing up in Raleigh County, his parents, Robert and Connie Chapman, always had their kids attend church.
Although his parents weren’t Christians when he was a child, Chapman’s mom often drove him and his four brothers to Maynor Freewill Baptist Church or sent them to church on a church bus.
Chapman said he didn’t protest.
“There was a drawing from me, because it just seemed like church is where I found the most peace for some reason, growing up,” he said. “The pastor at one point said, ‘I could see you being a preacher when you get older.’
“I laughed it off and said, ‘There’s no way.’”
At age 12, Chapman said he accepted Christ as his personal savior and entered a relationship with God.
After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1985, he entered the U.S. Army. Chapman spent four years at Fort Hood, Texas, before heading to Garlstedt, Germany.
During his time in the military, he said, his relationship with God faltered.
“I knew I had God’s protection over me, but I just wasn’t living for God like I needed to be,” Chapman recalled. “Every night, I prayed, but I knew I just wasn’t where I needed to be.
“There was just a void there. I wasn’t feeling complete.”
After leaving Germany, he returned to West Virginia and spent four years in the West Virginia Army National Guard.
“When I came back to West Virginia, I knew where the void was, and I immediately just surrendered everything over to God,” he said.
In 1991, Chapman attended a Christmas program at Cranberry Community Church.
One particular congregant immediately caught his eye, he remembered.
His future wife, Cecilia, was in charge of the program.
“She was just so ... I can’t explain it,” said Chapman. “She was so captivating that I was like, I’ve got to know who this is.”
Chapman called a friend who attended church with Cecilia and asked for an introduction.
“I met her and her son, Robbie,” said Chapman. “He was a good kid. We hit it off very well.”
The couple began dating in January and were married the following July.
In 2000, Chapman was working at WJLS AM 560, a Christian radio station. During his stint at WJLS, he was ministering to youth but felt the call to begin preaching, he said.
“In 2003, I really felt the calling of God upon my life to do more than just teach children, just reach teenagers,” he said. “I was feeling the call to minister on a broader range.”
Cecilia — who Chapman says is a “pretty good preacher herself” — told Chapman to “quit running and go ahead and answer the call God has placed on your life,” he said.
Over the next three-and-a-half years, Chapman said, he spoke at churches of different denominations about the love of Christ.
“I have found that when I told God I would go wherever He wants me to go, regardless of the denomination, God opened the doors for me,” said Chapman.
When he began pastoring Beckley Praise Church in 2007, Chapman said he kept his belief that different denominations are all part of one body of believers.
He said the greatest message he believes Christ is sending to the world is, “Get ready.”
“You do that by accepting Jesus as your savior,” he said. “A lot of times people want to say, ‘If I’m a Christian, I have to give up a whole lot of stuff, I have to dress a certain way. You know, it ain’t about that. It’s about getting our hearts right. It doesn’t matter what you wear, it doesn’t matter how long your hair is or how short it is.
“It’s about having a right relationship with Jesus Christ and communicating with Him on a daily basis.”
Chapman said Beckley Praise Church is a “vibrant church” of around 60 people.
“We believe that we live up to the name of the church,” he said. “We love to praise the Lord.”
The church welcomes visitors, and Chapman has remained true to his open denominational roots.
Twice a month, ministers from various denominations are invited to speak, he said.
“I have a different minister, just whoever God tells me to get,” he explained, “I bring ministers in who will preach.”
Chapman said that women ministers play an important role in the work of the gospel, and Christian women ministers are often invited to preach at Beckley Praise Church.
“God is calling all to preach his word, whether they be male or female,” he said. “I fully support women ministering in the pulpit.
“There is so much work that it’s going to take all of us to proclaim the gospel,” he said.
Chapman also works as a supervisor for Raleigh County Home Confinement.
He said he supervises individuals who are “trying to get back into society from being either in jail or in trouble with the law.”
Chapman said he enjoys working with his clients in the program.
“There are opportunities that I can minister even on the job,” he said. “They need direction, and I have found that I have been able to do that, and it has been very successful in changing peoples’ lives.”
Chapman said Beckley Praise Church, located at 250 Elm Street, welcomes visitors. BPC Sunday service is at 11 a.m., and Wednesday classes for all age groups begin at 7 p.m. Sunday school classes meet at 10 a.m.
On the second and fourth Friday of each month, BPC hosts ministers from other churches.
He said BPC also offers a Youth Explorer Club for kids on Wednesday evenings.
More information is available at www.ourchurch.com/member/b/beckleypraise or by calling Chapman at 304-573-4009.
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