Peter F. Connell

While serving in the United States Marine Corps, Pastor Connell came to the Lord in a small home missions church in Beaufort, SC, in 1979.  He had a tremendous love for Truth planted into him by his first Pastor, John Zehm, and will forever be grateful for Pastor Zehm’s influence in his life.  He attended Apostolic Bible Institute from 1981 through 1983, met his wonderful wife Carol there, and graduated, a married man, with a Bachelor of Theology degree before returning to South Carolina to serve as Assistant Pastor.

Pastor Connell then moved to his roots in Upstate New York, where he served on a ministerial staff for a short time before moving to California (now “home”) as Assistant Pastor in First Pentecostal Church in Fairfield, CA, for 14 years.  While in Fairfield, the Lord blessed Pastor and Sister Connell with two wonderful children, Jennifer and Paul.

Pastor Connell has served as a Sectional Home Missions Director in the United Pentecostal Church, served as the first Secretary for the Western Region of the Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowship, has written several articles for Apostolic periodicals, several theological papers, published a book (serving as co-author and editor) regarding a vital interest to Apostolics and has presented theological works for the Apostolic Theological Forum held in several venues across the United States.  He holds a Masters of Apostolic Theology from the Institute of Conservative Apostolic Theology and serves as both an instructor and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the Institute of Conservative Apostolic Theology, San Antonio, Texas.  

Pastor Connell has authored several books which are available in our Book Store, Letters to Pastors and Other Saints: Thoughts and Expositions on the First Three Chapters of Revelation, which was released in May of 2015, Yirat Shamayim: A Call for a Revival of the Doctrine of the Fear of the LORD (2016), On the Sanctity of Human Life: Considerations Regarding Life and End-of-Life Issues (2017), and his latest book,  Go, Stand and Speak! Thoughts on Soul-Winning and Evangelism.  He is also working on a sequel to Letters to Pastors & Other Saints, which he hopes to have published soon.

Pastor Connell recently transitioned from being bi-vocational to being full-time as Pastor.

Letters to Pastors
& Other Saints

Thoughts & Expositions on the First Three Chapters of Revelations

Peter F. Connell

Certainly before Jesus calls us to be pastors, evangelists, teachers or anything else - He calls us to be saints. While I am a pastor, my first responsibility and calling is to be a saint of God. This is not said to diminish the role or authority of a pastor, for God indeed does place His authority for the governance of His church in the men whom He calls and appoints. Yet the fact remains that a pastor, evangelist, or church leader of any stripe must be first and foremost a saint. Letters to Pastors & Other Saints is an appeal to each of us to live up to our first calling. It is a high calling. Before I can be a good pastor, a good leader, a good Sunday School teacher - I must first be a good saint. What is a saint? A saint is one whose motives are right; whose life is holy; whose walk with God is marked by the presence of the fruit of the Spirit - and the conspicuous absence of the works of the flesh. Letters to Pastors & Other Saints is a commentary of the first three chapters of the Apocalypse; and concentrates on the letters to the seven churches of Asia. It employs a historical-grammatical hermeneutic so that we can see the message of these letters much as the original recipients of the letters would have understood them - and then it offers an opportunity to take the poignant intent of these letters and apply them to our own lives and circumstances. So, while it is a commentary in the historical sense of the word, it is also devotional in nature - imploring us to allow the Word of God to become engrafted into our hearts, and bring forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. May you be blessed as you read.

Sincerely, Peter F. Connell

Go, Stand
and Speak!

Thoughts On Soul-Winning and Evangelism

Peter F. Connell

Just read Bro. Connell's book. It is quick, easy reading, and it's Apostolic. The Apostle Peter said, "I stir up your pure minds by the way of remembrance." This booklet certainly ought to stir us up and rekindle the fires of revival and evangelism. During my travels in the last few years, I think our number one need is evangelism. There is nothing that blesses a church more than new converts, new blood, new voices, new testimonies, new faces. This book has certainly blessed and inspired me. I encourage you to read it prayerfully. He that hath an ear, let him hear what thus sayeth the Lord. It is evangelism, evangelism, evangelism! Thank you, Bro. Connell, for a job well done. To God be the Glory.

Sincerely,
Elder Vaughn Morton
Fresno, California

On the Sanctity
of Human Life

Considerations Regarding Life
and End-of-Life Issues

Peter F. Connell

This book is written with the purpose of informing ministry and laity alike of some of the complex issues that face and will face every family and every one of our congregations. This book also seeks to alert believers who work in the medical community to the humanistic influences behind some of the changes being implemented in medical institutions across America. As a pastor, I believe that we pastors have a duty to be informed and aware of what is happening in the world around us. We must become aware of a worldview that is prevalent and growing in modern medicine, academia, government, and public media that is quite contrary to the Scripture. This prevalent worldview, by reason of its perverseness in many parts of our society, will invariably affect our thinking unless it is countered with sound biblical teaching that inculcates biblical worldviews as it relates to these issues. Some areas of the United States generally have a more Judeo-Christian mindset than other areas of the country, and the secular worldview described in this book is not prevalent In those areas. As a result, the medical profession there have not been as deeply affected. Much of the country, however, is profoundly influenced by a culture that devalues human life, and this has infiltrated the healthcare industry. It is my hope that pastors will read these pages with interest and use this book as a stepping stone to become vitally informed about the issues that face every family.

Sincerely, Peter F. Connell