Ed and JoBeth Vinson originally walked through the doors because of the youth group. Their two teenaged daughters needed a church to call home, and they were attracted to the active group of kids at the time. They arrived in 1990 at Christ Community Fellowship and have since stayed put.

The Vinsons are fixtures in the village of Capitan. Ed has been the pastor of Christ Community Fellowship Since 1994 and JoBeth has been an educator at Capitan High School for the past 25 years. She started as an aide and is now a tenured teacher. Ed’s also a Capitan school board member and hopes to be elected for one more term. Community involvement is part of the Vinson’s lifestyle.

Ed Vinson didn’t start out as a pastor. His work history is a bit lengthy. Janitor, maintenance technician, draftsman, engineer, construction supervisor. These jobs don’t sound like a minister’s typical background. Yet his life experiences have served him well throughout his ministry. A Texas Tech graduate, he also attended ENMU-Roswell and Trinity School of Theology, where he received an associate’s degree in theology.

Originally from Lubbock, the Vinsons initially came to Capitan in 1989 for missionary and Christian camping work. Sent by the Melonie Park Baptist Church in Lubbock, they worked to create Fort Lone Tree, northeast of Capitan. They started from scratch and cleared the land, designed the camp, built towers and structures, and also participated as staff members.

In 1992, Christ Community Fellowship asked Vinson to become a church elder, and in May of that year became ordained. “I soon began to hear the call of the Lord as a pastor. I tried to put it off, but God kept speaking to me,” says Vinson.

Through a series of challenging events, including two pastoral changes at CCF, a focus change occurred at the church. An affiliation with the Charismatic Episcopal denomination was begun, along with asking one of the denomination’s priests to become pastor of the church.

Vinson became the pastor of Christ Community Fellowship after the priest left, and the church’s bishop and elders told Vinson they thought he was the man for the position. He resigned from his missionary position at Fort Lone Tree and officially signed on as pastor at CCF in January 1994.

Their affiliation with the Charismatic Episcopal Church was dissolved in 2007. Now a part of the Fellowship of Connected Churches and Ministries, the church is a vital part of Capitan’s landscape. Their goal is to minister and influence the community with the stability of the Father, the love of Jesus for all, and the encouragement and power of the Holy Spirit.

“We want to be seen as a church of prayer,” says Vinson. “We’ve seen and observed God’s divine interventions through prayer. We have people regularly drop by with prayer requests.”

Christ Community Fellowship welcomes any who wish to attend. For more information, call 575-354-2458, or visit their website at www.Christcommunity-Capitan.com.