Since June of 2009, the Rev. Dr. Christopher C. F. Chapman has served as pastor of First Baptist Church in Raleigh. He is a native of North Carolina and a graduate of the University of Kentucky (1982), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1987), and Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA (1996). He is married to the former Dana White and has two adult children.

Prior to coming to Raleigh, Chris served other churches in North Carolina (Knollwood Baptist in Winston-Salem and Warrenton Baptist Church), Virginia (Ginter Park Baptist in Richmond and Moffett Memorial Baptist in Danville), and Kentucky (Broadway Baptist in Louisville). He has a long history of community involvement especially in regard to multicultural relationships, interfaith work, and social ministry. He has served on the board of directors for the Winston-Salem AIDS Care Service, built houses through Habitat for Humanity, done extensive partnership mission work in Kenya, co-taught a common text course with a rabbi and an Old Testament professor at Wake Forest University Divinity School, and co-led several similar interfaith studies in Raleigh.

Dr. Chapman also has a background in music and theater which he incorporates into his preaching on occasion, as well as a keen interest in athletics, especially track and field. His musical interests range from classical and jazz to U2 and Earth, Wind and Fire. He humbly acknowledges (in this part of the country) his primary loyalties to Kentucky Wildcat athletics while hoping that having two children attend North Carolina State University provides some credibility in ACC territory.