Who Is Skip Heitzig?
Skip Heitzig (born 1955 in Southern California) is an American pastor, author, and Bible teacher. He’s the founder and senior pastor of Calvary Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, one of the largest congregations in the country, drawing over 15,000 people weekly.
Known for his verse-by-verse teaching style and his multimedia ministry, Connect with Skip Heitzig, he became a Christian at 18 after watching a Billy Graham crusade on television and never looked back.
Skip Heitzig at a Glance
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Skip Heitzig (birth name not publicly confirmed) |
| Born | 1955, Southern California, USA (exact date not publicly confirmed) |
| Age | 70-71 (as of 2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Lenya Heitzig (m. 1981) |
| Children | One son, Nathan “Nate” Heitzig |
| Siblings | Three; brothers Bob (d. 1975) and James (d. 2019) |
| Education | |
| College | Victor Valley Community College, California |
| Seminary | Trinity Seminary, Newburgh, Indiana (BA, MA) |
| Doctorate | D.D. and Ph.D., Trinity Southwest University |
| Ministry | |
| Title | Founder and Senior Pastor |
| Church | Calvary Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Denomination | Non-denominational, Calvary Chapel movement |
| Founded church | 1982 |
| Website | calvarynm.church |
| Career | |
| Books | The Bible from 30,000 Feet, Biography of God, You Can Understand the Book of Revelation, Defying Normal |
| Radio/TV | Connect with Skip Heitzig, syndicated nationally |
| Net worth | Estimated $1-5 million (unverified public estimate) |
Early Life and Background
Skip Heitzig grew up in Southern California during the 1960s and 1970s, right in the middle of the counterculture movement.
By his own account, he drifted into drugs and the surfer lifestyle of that era, once described as a “marijuana smoking surfer dude.”
His path changed at 18. Alone in his brother’s apartment, he came across a Billy Graham crusade broadcast on television. The message reached him, and he knelt down and prayed to receive Christ that night.
Not long after, a friend named Gino Geraci had already tried to share the gospel with him, an encounter Heitzig later credited as a catalyst for his conversion, even though his first response to Geraci had been to shove him against a wall.
Ministry Journey and Career
Studying Under Chuck Smith
After his conversion, Heitzig began studying under Pastor Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, right in the heart of the Jesus Movement Smith had helped ignite.
That mentorship shaped Heitzig’s entire teaching approach: expository, verse-by-verse, and built around making Scripture accessible to ordinary people.
Founding Calvary of Albuquerque
In 1981, Heitzig married Lenya, and the couple moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he took a job in the medical field. A year later, in 1982, he started a home Bible study.
It grew fast. By 1988 and 1989, Calvary of Albuquerque was recognized as one of the fastest-growing churches in America.
By 2009, it ranked among the 15 largest churches in the country, with average weekend attendance topping 13,000. In 2018, CBS News listed it as the 22nd largest megachurch in America, with more than 16,800 weekly visitors. The church has since planted more than 40 affiliated congregations internationally.
The 2003-2006 Leadership Dispute
In January 2004, Heitzig left Albuquerque to become senior pastor at Ocean Hills Community Church in San Juan Capistrano, California. His departure triggered a governance crisis back home.
A former church elder publicly accused Heitzig of moving expensive stage equipment to his new church and forcing Calvary Albuquerque to keep subsidizing his radio program after he’d left.
Nearly 2,000 members signed a petition supporting the interim leadership, and questions about financial accountability spread through the congregation.
Heitzig resigned from the Albuquerque board and reportedly received a severance package worth more than $300,000. He denied any abuse of authority.
In July 2006, Heitzig returned to Albuquerque as senior pastor. The church says its finances have since been independently audited.
Some longtime lay leaders left in the aftermath, citing ongoing concerns about board accountability, but the church has continued to grow in the years since his return.
Books, Sermons, and Public Ministry
Heitzig has written more than a dozen books, including The Bible from 30,000 Feet, Biography of God, You Can Understand the Book of Revelation, and Defying Normal. Fellow pastor James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Chapel personally endorsed The Bible from 30,000 Feet, calling it a book that turns Scripture from a puzzle into treasure for the average reader.
His teaching reaches far past Albuquerque through Connect with Skip Heitzig, a daily radio and television program broadcast nationally and available on platforms including OnePlace and Pray.com.
He maintains an extensive online teaching library covering verse-by-verse studies through entire books of the Bible, one of the most complete free Bible-teaching archives from any single Calvary Chapel pastor.
Personal Life
Skip and Lenya Heitzig have been married since 1981. Lenya is an author and speaker in her own right, founder of the humanitarian outreach Reload Love, which turns spent bullet casings into brass charms to support children affected by terrorism.
The couple has one son, Nate Heitzig, who followed his father into ministry and now serves on staff at Calvary Church. Nate is married to Janaé, and the couple has two children, Seth and Kaydence, making Skip and Lenya grandparents.
Skip Heitzig’s Health Scare
In February 2020, Heitzig was hospitalized with a subdural hematoma, bleeding on the brain. He underwent surgery, spent time in intensive care, and needed a second surgery after further bleeding was discovered. He recovered fully and returned to preaching.
Theology and Ministry Philosophy
What Are Skip Heitzig’s Core Beliefs?
Calvary Church’s statement of faith affirms the standard evangelical convictions: the virgin birth, the sinless life and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and the active work of the Holy Spirit in believers today, including the biblical gifts of the Spirit. Heitzig also affirms the Apostles’ Creed as a summary of core Christian doctrine.
Is Skip Heitzig a Calvinist?
No. Heitzig teaches within the Calvary Chapel tradition, which historically leans away from Calvinist positions on predestination and toward a view that emphasizes human free will in salvation.
He’s occasionally been the subject of online debate from Calvinist critics inside the broader Calvary Chapel network, but his own church’s statement of faith doesn’t affirm Reformed or Calvinist distinctives.
What Bible Translation Does Skip Heitzig Use?
Heitzig doesn’t preach exclusively from one translation. His published devotionals draw from the New Living Translation, the New King James Version, the King James Version, and the New International Version, often comparing wording across versions to clarify meaning for his audience.
Is Skip Heitzig Biblical?
Heitzig’s core doctrine, salvation, the authority of Scripture, the deity of Christ, matches mainstream evangelical belief.
Some watchdog and discernment blogs within Calvary Chapel circles have criticized specific guest speakers he’s hosted or his openness to charismatic practices, but no major, well-documented case has been made that his own preaching departs from historic Christian orthodoxy.
What Did Skip Heitzig Say About Charlie Kirk?
Following the September 2025 assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Heitzig was among the evangelical leaders who publicly honored Kirk’s life and faith.
He shared a reflection on why Kirk’s death resonated with Christians, framing it around Kirk’s outspoken commitment to his faith rather than his political activism alone. His comments echoed a broader wave of tributes from pastors across the country in the weeks following Kirk’s death.
Influence and Legacy
Heitzig built one of the largest churches in America out of a single home Bible study, and he did it by staying close to the model Chuck Smith gave him: teach the Bible verse by verse, keep it accessible, and let the text do the work.
That approach shaped more than 40 church plants connected to Calvary Albuquerque and reaches a national audience through his radio and TV ministry.
He also remains closely tied to his generation of Calvary Chapel pastors who came out of the Jesus Movement, a network that includes longtime friend and fellow senior pastor Raul Ries of Calvary Chapel Golden Springs.
When tragedy struck within that circle of friends, Heitzig was often one of the first people to reach out and pray publicly for them.
Criticism and Controversies
The clearest documented controversy in Heitzig’s ministry is the 2003-2006 leadership dispute described above, covered at the time by Christianity Today and other outlets. It centered on financial accountability and church governance rather than doctrine.
Separately, discernment-focused blogs within conservative Calvary Chapel circles have occasionally criticized guest speakers invited to preach at Calvary Church, questioning whether certain teachings aligned closely enough with traditional Calvary Chapel positions.
These criticisms reflect internal theological disagreements within the movement rather than documented findings against Heitzig personally.
Net Worth and Financial Information
Skip Heitzig has never published an official net worth. Online estimates range from roughly $1 million to $10 million, and reports vary widely because none are backed by a confirmed financial statement or a direct statement from Heitzig.
One recurring but unverified figure claims he received a severance package worth around $300,000 in cash, cars, and equipment tied to his 2003-2006 departure and return. Treat any specific dollar figure with caution until confirmed by a primary source.
Awards and Recognition
Heitzig hasn’t pursued industry awards. His public recognition comes primarily through his church’s growth, his multimedia reach through Connect with Skip Heitzig, and his standing among Calvary Chapel pastors as a direct disciple of Chuck Smith’s original teaching model.
Interesting Facts About Skip Heitzig
- He converted to Christianity at 18 after watching Billy Graham on television, not at a church service.
- He worked in the medical field, specifically radiology, before ministry became his full-time calling.
- His church has planted more than 40 affiliated congregations around the world.
- He survived emergency brain surgery in February 2020 for a subdural hematoma and returned to preaching afterward.
- His son, Nate, now teaches from the same pulpit his father built from a home Bible study in 1982.
Skip Heitzig Timeline
- 1955 — Born in Southern California.
- 1973 (approx.) — Converts to Christianity at 18 after watching a Billy Graham crusade on TV.
- Late 1970s — Studies under Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.
- 1981 — Marries Lenya; the couple moves to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- 1982 — Starts a home Bible study that becomes Calvary of Albuquerque.
- 1988-1989 — Church recognized as one of the fastest-growing in America.
- 2004 — Leaves Albuquerque to pastor Ocean Hills Community Church in California, triggering a governance dispute back home.
- 2006 — Returns to Albuquerque as senior pastor of Calvary of Albuquerque.
- 2009 — Church ranked among the 15 largest in the United States.
- 2020 — Hospitalized in February for a subdural hematoma requiring brain surgery; recovers fully.
- 2025 — Publicly honors Charlie Kirk’s life and faith following his September assassination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Skip Heitzig?
Skip Heitzig is an American pastor and author who founded Calvary Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, growing it from a home Bible study into one of the largest congregations in the country.
Skip Heitzig date of birth?
He was born in 1955 in Southern California. His exact birth date isn’t confirmed by any authoritative source, despite conflicting claims online.
Who is Skip Heitzig’s wife?
His wife is Lenya Heitzig, an author, speaker, and founder of the humanitarian ministry Reload Love. They married in 1981.
How many kids does Skip Heitzig have?
He and Lenya have one son, Nate Heitzig, who now serves on staff at Calvary Church.
How old is Nate Heitzig?
Nate Heitzig was born around 1986, making him approximately 39-40 years old as of 2026.
Is Skip Heitzig still a pastor?
Yes. He continues to serve as senior pastor of Calvary Church in Albuquerque and remains active in his radio and television teaching ministry.
What happened to Skip Heitzig?
He left Calvary Albuquerque in 2004 amid a leadership dispute, returned in 2006, and survived a serious health crisis in February 2020 when he was hospitalized for a subdural hematoma requiring brain surgery.
Was Skip Heitzig hospitalized?
Yes. In February 2020, he was hospitalized and underwent surgery for bleeding on the brain. He needed a second surgery after additional bleeding was found, and he fully recovered.
Is Skip Heitzig a Calvinist?
No. He teaches within the Calvary Chapel tradition, which generally holds a non-Calvinist view of salvation and free will.
Is Skip Heitzig biblical?
His stated doctrine matches mainstream evangelical belief on Scripture, salvation, and the person of Christ. Some discernment blogs have raised concerns about specific guest speakers at his church, but no major documented case challenges his own teaching as unbiblical.
What is Skip Heitzig’s salary?
His current salary hasn’t been publicly disclosed. One unverified figure ties a roughly $300,000 severance package to his 2003-2006 departure and return.
Where can I find Skip Heitzig’s latest sermons?
His sermons are available through Calvary Church’s teaching library at calvarynm.church and through the Connect with Skip Heitzig radio and podcast platforms.
What did Skip Heitzig say about Charlie Kirk?
After Kirk’s assassination in September 2025, Heitzig publicly honored his life and faith, joining many evangelical leaders who spoke about Kirk’s outspoken Christian convictions.
Skip Heitzig’s decades of verse-by-verse teaching are built on one simple idea: let the Bible speak for itself. If that approach appeals to you, check out our guide on how to study the Bible effectively, and share this article with someone who’d enjoy his story.
