A Pentecostal Family on Normandy Boulevard
Victory Chapel Christian Fellowship Church sits at 7830 Normandy Boulevard on the Westside of Jacksonville, Florida. From that location the church calls itself a "contemporary, relevant and cutting-edge, rapidly growing church" and invites visitors with the simple phrase "come as you are, leave better." Its motto is drawn from 1 Corinthians 15:57: "But thanks be to God, who gives us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ." It is one congregation in a global family of more than 2,700 churches known as Christian Fellowship Ministries, planted in Jacksonville in September 1989 by Pastor Ron Meyer and his wife Bridget, and known locally for its Pentecostal style of worship, its strong military ministry, its weekend music venue called The Arena, a children's ministry called Fireseeds, and a teen ministry called Lifeline.
A Church Planted in 1989, Rooted in a 1970 Coffee House
The story of Victory Chapel Jacksonville begins in 1970 in Prescott, Arizona, where a pastor named Wayman Mitchell and his wife Nelda took over a small struggling congregation. Almost immediately, a group of young hippies walked through the door, were welcomed, and gave their lives to Christ. To keep reaching that crowd, the church began what they called a "coffee-house" concert ministry: bands playing, testimonies being given, and the gospel being preached. More than 200 young people came to the very first concert, with many saved. Out of that a regular concert ministry was born - two nights a week, bands played, testimonies of salvation were shared, and the gospel was preached, with many being saved each night.
From that beginning, Christian Fellowship Ministries grew. Couples were trained and sent out as missionaries. In 1978 the first couple was sent to another nation - Australia - and from there churches spread across Mexico, Holland, Germany, and beyond. Today, more than 2,700 CFM churches have been planted in over 130 nations of the world, with new ones starting daily. Crusades and conferences touch tens of thousands of people every year.
The Jacksonville church was born out of that same DNA. In September 1989, Pastor Ron Meyer and his wife Bridget moved their family to Jacksonville with a hope that many would come to know the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They have faithfully served the Westside congregation since that time. Their son, Jeremy Meyer, one of the founding members of the Jacksonville church, now serves as Assistant Pastor alongside his wife Tiffany. Jeremy came to Jacksonville in 1989; Tiffany came in 1997, the couple was married at Victory Chapel in 1999, and before joining the pastoral staff they served in Children's Church, the Lifeline Teen Ministry, and as Door Directors.
From the beginning, the church has understood itself as a product of a much larger vision. As the congregation puts it, "Jesus Christ is the only hope for man's salvation and that is true with every person in every nation on the globe."
Weekly Services: Sunday Morning, Sunday Evening, Wednesday Night
Victory Chapel keeps a three-services-a-week rhythm. Each one is centered on what the church calls "honest, direct and anointed preaching" - they believe preaching has always been used by God to shake the nations. The published schedule is:
- Sunday School at 9:30 AM
- Sunday Morning Worship at 10:30 AM
- Sunday Evening Worship at 6:30 PM
- Wednesday Night Service at 7:30 PM
The Sunday morning gathering is the main family service, with Sunday School beforehand and a children's program running alongside the evening service. The Sunday evening and Wednesday night services carry the same Pentecostal feel - lively music, open prayer, and a strong gospel message. Pastor Ron Meyer preaches in a "direct, friendly and down-to-earth" style the church describes as refreshing in a world of watered-down preaching.
The services follow an order centered on the preaching of the Word. Victory Chapel's own description of their practice includes vibrant worship, hands lifted, audible prayer, an offering taken, and an altar call at the close of every service where they invite people to make a public decision. The church is explicit that they do not use the "complex and formal order of service that marks many churches and denominations." Instead they follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and the biblical pattern of worship described in the book of Acts.
Visitors should know what to expect on arrival: a friendly, focused congregation and a pastor who has a personal interest in the people who walk in. Dress is informal. The church's constant invitation is "come as you are, leave better."
Why They Worship the Way They Do
Victory Chapel has a whole section of teaching called "Why do we gather for service?" in which they walk through each element of their worship and tie it to Scripture. They explain in their own words why they lift hands, why they clap, why they use musical instruments, why they pray together out loud, why they believe in speaking in tongues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, why they take an offering, why they preach the gospel, and why they close every service with an altar call.
On tongues specifically, the church teaches that speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit, that this gift continues to be available to believers today, and that it remains one of the signs Jesus promised would follow those who believe. The teaching page on the baptism of the Holy Spirit lays out the doctrinal case - prophecies of tongues in Isaiah 28, the New Testament fulfillment in 1 Corinthians 14:21, the original 120 disciples at Pentecost in Acts 2:4, the first Gentiles saved in Acts 10, Paul's own practice in 1 Corinthians 14:18, and the Ephesians 12 disciples in Acts 19:6, all of whom spoke in tongues when the Spirit was poured out.
The same page makes it clear that the gift of tongues is for boldness and power (Acts 1:8), for close communication with God that "the devil cannot intercept," for edification (1 Corinthians 14:4), and for the building up of faith. The church teaches that the Holy Spirit is received by faith, that doubt, hidden sin, or partial yielding can hinder the reception, and that Spirit-filled Christians may pray for a new believer as they receive this gift.
Fireseeds Children's Church and the Nursery
The children's ministry at Victory Chapel is called Fireseeds. The Sunday Evening Children's Church meets at 6:30 PM at the same time as the evening worship service and is led by children's ministers Dan and Rachel Katz. The lessons are structured, seasonal, and pitched at the 6-to-12 age group. Puppet shows, plays, and interactive elements are part of the curriculum.
Young Servants is a track within Fireseeds that gives children real service opportunities - helping with yard work for those in the community who cannot do it themselves, and assisting in the services as an example to their peers. Within this ministry, youths are challenged to use their gifts at an early age to serve and share the gospel with the communities they live in.
For infants and toddlers, a staffed nursery is available at every service. The volunteers are screened and trained, and the church says it follows health and safety procedures to ensure children are cared for and loved with the highest standards.
Lifeline Teen Ministry
The teen ministry is called Lifeline, and the staff ministers are Trevor and Rebecca Meyer. The Lifeline service happens on Friday evenings at 7:30 PM, at least once a month, and is described as "cutting edge, entertaining and insightful." Lessons are aimed at pertinent issues teenagers face, taught at their level and in their language. The teens also serve through choir, drama teams, and other ministry platforms to inspire a young army of teenagers to make their mark on the world.
The Lifeline ministry has reached beyond the church walls. The team has brought dramas, music, and preaching to Westside High, where a concert was held in front of nearly 1,000 students and 83 gave their lives to Christ. Westside High has since named Victory Chapel as its faith-based partner, opening the door for an onsite beautification project and ongoing concerts and Bible studies throughout the school year.
The Arena: A Free Music Venue with a Gospel Purpose
On the Victory Chapel campus sits a music venue called The Arena. It is the modern continuation of the "coffee-house" concert ministry that began in Prescott, Arizona in 1970, and it is a key part of the church's evangelistic strategy. The Arena features state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, hosts internationally known performers (including artists such as Ransom) and local acts (such as East to West and Front-liners), and operates as a free-admission, sitting-and-standing-room-only music venue.
The Arena events are concerts with a purpose. At a recent Rock This Way event held on a military base, the team shared a full gospel message and saw eight people make decisions for Christ. At an Arena production called Salvage, a young man named Chandler English saw his mother, Carol, give her life to Christ for the first time after years of prayer.
The Military Bible Study on Jacksonville, Mayport, and Kings Bay
Because of the strong military presence in the Jacksonville area, Victory Chapel runs a Base Bible Study that has been a steady part of the church's ministry since its founding in 1989. There are bases in Jacksonville, Mayport, and Kings Bay, Georgia, and many military men and women have passed through the doors of Victory Chapel. The church describes the difficulties and struggles of separation that military families face, and the way some military members get drawn into alcohol-heavy lifestyles, creating a great need for spiritual direction.
The Base Ministry includes Bible studies on base, opening homes for friendship and fellowship, and providing transportation to church events throughout the month. Many of those who serve in the Base Ministry are veterans who feel a particular burden for those on active duty. The church encourages any military member in need of help to come to a service and ask about the Base Ministry.
The Bilingual Ministry in Spanish
Victory Chapel operates a Bilingual Ministry as an extension of the church, tailored to reach the Jacksonville Hispanic community. All regular and special church services are translated into Spanish. In addition to the regular Sunday services, the Bilingual Ministry meets on Fridays at 7:30 PM, at least once a month, for bilingual services and Bible studies.
The ministry's own description, in Spanish, reads: "El Ministerio Bilingüe es una extensión de nuestra iglesia, diseñada para llegar a la comunidad hispana de Jacksonville. Traducimos todos nuestros servicios regulares y especiales en español. Además de nuestros servicios regulares, también nos reunimos los viernes a las 7:30 pm, al menos una vez al mes, para tener servicios bilingües y/o estudios bíblicos."
Home Bible Studies Across the City
For people who want something more personal than the Sunday gathering, Victory Chapel runs Home Bible Study groups on Friday nights in various parts of town. The setting is "relaxed" and "informal" - a living room rather than a sanctuary. The church sees these small groups as the perfect platform to grow and to share Jesus with friends and neighbors.
Daily Prayer: Mornings in the Building, an Hour Before Every Service
Prayer is treated as a normal and necessary part of life at Victory Chapel. Morning Prayer is held in the teen center right next door to the main church building, Monday through Friday, from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM. The church also prays for one hour before each Sunday evening and Wednesday service. As Victory Chapel's own teaching puts it, "Robbed of prayer, the church is robbed of power, direction, and divine presence." That is why at Victory Chapel Christian Fellowship Church, you will find people in the building every morning praying for God to release His favor on the ministry.
What Victory Chapel Believes
Victory Chapel's statement of faith centers on a classic Pentecostal understanding of Christianity. The church affirms that there is one God eternally existent in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that Jesus Christ is eternally God, was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died vicariously for the sins of the whole world, rose again on the third day, and will return bodily and personally. The church believes that salvation is a free gift of God, received by faith through repentance and personal acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Distinctive to Victory Chapel is their teaching on the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They believe this is a separate experience subsequent to conversion, evidenced initially by speaking in tongues, and followed by the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The ordinances they practice are water baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, observed as a remembrance of Christ's death until He comes again.
The church holds firmly to the Bible as the only infallible, inspired Word of God - the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction, and reproof, and the only infallible guide in matters of godliness and practical Christian conduct. Their creedal statement affirms, among other things, the absolute Trinity of the eternal Godhead, the deity of Christ, the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit, the reality and personality of Satan, the natural depravity of the human race, the substitutionary atonement through Christ, full salvation by grace through faith, divine healing through the atonement by the laying on of hands and prayer, water baptism by immersion at an age of accountability, the personal baptism of the Holy Spirit, tithing as God's financial plan, and the personal, literal, bodily, premillennial coming of Jesus Christ.
On marriage, Victory Chapel teaches that it is an institution ordained by God from the foundation of the world, intended as a lifelong union of one natural-born man and one natural-born woman, based on the teaching of Scriptures in both Old and New Testaments, and supported by the creation account in Genesis chapters 1 and 2.
On the family, Victory Chapel teaches that the family is the first foundation of God's established order and the cornerstone of God's government. The parents, they say, are the key. If the parents are disciples of Jesus, the children will be also.
A Discipleship Path That Begins with a Family Altar
The church's twelve-step "How to Be a Successful Christian" teaching begins with erecting a family altar - daily family prayer and Bible time - and walks through private morning and evening prayer, daily Bible study of at least fifteen minutes, joining a Bible study class, water baptism by immersion, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, working for God by winning others, shunning evil companions, faithful church attendance, systematic tithing, perseverance in the face of persecution, and cooperation with one's pastor.
For aspiring members, Victory Chapel offers a six-week "Foundations of Faith" class that walks through the fundamentals of the faith, the church's strategy and structure, and the responsibilities of church membership. Those who complete the class have the opportunity to sign a Membership Covenant and become active members of the church. Ministry leaders, elders, and the pastoral team serve as mentors to affirm, disciple, and assist members in their spiritual development.
Vision and Method: How the Church Thinks About Itself
The church's vision and method statement describes how they understand the work of a local church. They teach that "God is returning the local church to the dignity of its foundations" - that God has placed everything necessary to accomplish His will in the setting of a local church. The Bible is the guidebook of Christian life, and preaching is God's method of bringing it to the hearts of His people.
The work of the church, as Victory Chapel describes it, moves through a clear progression: preaching the gospel, taking the gospel outside the four walls through personal evangelism and outreaches, calling people to a decision, discipling new converts, training and equipping them in the local church, releasing them as workers into the harvest, sending couples to plant new churches in new areas, and supporting missionaries who go to other nations. As they put it, "the result of disciples being raised up is that they are released into the harvest field."
World evangelism is not an add-on at Victory Chapel. The church sees the gospel as "not simply American, but God-inspired," and as relevant in every nation and culture. Their job, they say, is to "pray, train, invest, send and support workers to go into all the world." Most of the congregation consists of people converted there by the power of God.
What Makes Victory Chapel Different
The church lists ten things they say set them apart. Their vision is large - they want to see Jacksonville and the world impacted through outreach and evangelism. Their members are equipped and released into ministry according to how God has shaped them. They hold members accountable through a six-week Foundations of Faith class and a Membership Covenant. Their purpose is structured around the five major tasks of the early church in Acts 2:42-47: discipleship, fellowship, worship, ministry, and outreach.
They use whatever means, media, or mode is necessary to reach the unsaved. Their structure is kept simple to maximize the time members spend in hands-on ministry. Their message is uncut - they say they will not dilute the Bible's intent. Their strategy is focused on evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. Their services are gospel-centered, with an altar call at the close of every service. And their giving is treated as a covenant of cheerful, generous tithing, with offerings managed through multiple layers of accountability.
Pastoral Staff and Local Leadership
The pastoral team is led by Pastor Ron Meyer and his wife Bridget, founders of the Jacksonville church. They are assisted by their son, Pastor Jeremy Meyer, and his wife Tiffany, who serves on the pastoral staff. The Children's Church is led by Dan and Rachel Katz. The Lifeline Teen Ministry is led by Trevor and Rebecca Meyer. The local church is also served by a Church Council made up of men who have been part of the congregation since near the beginning of its foundation and who also play active roles in church ministry positions.
The church's address is 7830 Normandy Blvd., Jacksonville, Florida 32221. The phone number is 904-781-3309. The email address is vcnewsletter904@gmail.com. First-time visitors are welcomed with a friendly atmosphere and a place they can call home.
Giving, Tithing, and Planting Churches
Online giving is available through the church's website, and the church explains its purpose plainly: gifts are apportioned for evangelizing locally and internationally, planting churches, and planting missionaries to other nations. The church teaches tithing as God's financial plan and frames giving as a form of partnership in the work of reaching the world for Jesus.
The heartbeat of the church is to continue to plant churches and send missionaries to regions beyond. As Pastor Ron Meyer has put it, the Jacksonville congregation is "a product of that vision and is working to see it expanded in the short time that remains before Jesus' return."