Christopher Adams

Christopher Adams
About This Author
Chris Adams, son of songwriter Steve Adams, grew up in a Nazarene music ministry family
in the Nashville area. He is a third-generation pastor’s kid and an ordained elder. Chris
served in full-time music ministry for several years after college, and then as an associate
pastor at Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene for five years during and after seminary.
He also provided pastoral care to missionary families for Nazarene World Mission while
completing doctoral work at Fuller Theological Seminary. After nine years as Associate
Campus Pastor for Pastoral Care at Azusa Pacific University, Chris established the APU
Center for Vocational Ministry and serves as its executive director (apu.edu/cvm). This new
center is focused on helping ministry students and leaders flourish through formational
research, relationships, and resources. He also teaches ministry leadership and pastoral
care/counseling courses for several seminaries. As a clinical psychologist, Chris serves as a
consultant to a number of denominations and seminaries in the areas of clergy candidate
assessment, clergy health, and pastoral leadership formation, including Nazarene Global
Clergy Development, the Center for Pastoral Health at Trevecca Nazarene University, and
the Center for Pastoral Leadership at Point Loma Nazarene University. He is currently
participating as a consultant, researcher, and writer with the Duke Clergy Health Initiative
and the Flourishing in Ministry project at the University of Notre Dame. Chris is a frequent
lecturer at seminaries, retreats, and conferences. He lives in Sierra Madre, CA, and is
married to Lori, a cardiac nurse, and has two children, Lexi and Cole. In addition to playing
with his kids, Chris enjoys music (especially jazz), tennis, and scuba diving.