Our Pastor
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Pastor Matthew Homan has been the senior pastor of Eureka Baptist Church since June 2015. He became a follower of Jesus in 1992 as he was exposed to Jesus by his parents. He grew up on the Potomac River in southern Maryland, about 30 minutes south of the nation's capital. He felt the call to ministry in the 11th grade, and was encouraged by his church to pursue that call further. He went off to college at Liberty University where he met his wife Leslie. Matthew earned a degree in Pastoral Leadership while Leslie earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Pastor Matt has since earned a Master of Arts in Religion: Church Planting & Evangelism from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, and he earned the Master of Divinity: Christian Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Before coming to Eureka, Pastor Matt served as a youth and children's minister at Providence Baptist Church of Red House, VA for about three years and numerous pulpit supply opportunities. Matt and Leslie have the joy of having five daughters, Gracelynn, Audrianna, Abilene, Catherine, and Eliza. |
What is your favorite book? Why? 9 Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever. It saved my philosophy of ministry from false definitions of success. Successful church ministry is not primarily defined by our buildings, budgets, or bodies, though it is so tempting to define it this way. Successful church ministry is defined by faithfulness to the Bible. Many 21st century churches have walked away from some of the basics that mark the church as defined by Scripture. This book defines nine of these marks that healthy churches will have. It's simple, but refreshing. While so many trendy books are out there on how to run a church like a business, this book reminds us to practice church like a church. Just read it. Or get the abridged version called What is A Healthy Church? by Mark Dever. Out of this book a helpful church resource ministry was birthed called 9Marks: http://9marks.org/.
Who is your favorite author? Why? John Piper. He is the Jonathan Edwards of the 21st century. He takes the main theme of Edwards during the First Great Awakening in the 1700s and puts it in our modern tongue. He often revolves theology around the beauty and joy of God. Here are some amazing quotes by Piper:
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him”
“Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there. The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. It's a way of overcoming every obstacle to everlasting joy in God. If we don't want God above all things, we have not been converted by the gospel.”
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't.”
“Do you feel loved by God because you believe he makes much of you, or because you believe he frees you and empowers you to enjoy making much of him?”
Who is your favorite preacher? Why? Right now it is Voddie Baucham. He is the current Dean of Theology at African Christian University in Zambia. He is humble but direct on biblical truth. He is pivotal in my understanding of how to evaluate the new woke movement, social justice, and critical race theory. I highly recommend his lectures you can find on Youtube called "Cultural Marxism" and "Ethnic Gnosticism."
What's an interesting fact about you? I worked at a seafood restaurant in Maryland for many years starting at age 14 and have personally cooked over 300,000 blue crabs.
Come football season, who do you cheer for?
That's easy, hands down, the Commanders, formerly the Washington Football Team, formerly the Redskins. Now I was five the last time they won a Super Bowl, but I have renewed hope every season.
Who is your favorite author? Why? John Piper. He is the Jonathan Edwards of the 21st century. He takes the main theme of Edwards during the First Great Awakening in the 1700s and puts it in our modern tongue. He often revolves theology around the beauty and joy of God. Here are some amazing quotes by Piper:
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him”
“Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there. The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. It's a way of overcoming every obstacle to everlasting joy in God. If we don't want God above all things, we have not been converted by the gospel.”
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't.”
“Do you feel loved by God because you believe he makes much of you, or because you believe he frees you and empowers you to enjoy making much of him?”
Who is your favorite preacher? Why? Right now it is Voddie Baucham. He is the current Dean of Theology at African Christian University in Zambia. He is humble but direct on biblical truth. He is pivotal in my understanding of how to evaluate the new woke movement, social justice, and critical race theory. I highly recommend his lectures you can find on Youtube called "Cultural Marxism" and "Ethnic Gnosticism."
What's an interesting fact about you? I worked at a seafood restaurant in Maryland for many years starting at age 14 and have personally cooked over 300,000 blue crabs.
Come football season, who do you cheer for?
That's easy, hands down, the Commanders, formerly the Washington Football Team, formerly the Redskins. Now I was five the last time they won a Super Bowl, but I have renewed hope every season.
