Eugene Coetzer | Community Pastor

Eugene grew up in South Africa and lived in Cape Town. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Theology before completing a master’s in Theology, a second master’s in New Testament and Greek, and eventually a PhD in Greek and Literary Theory.

While serving for many years as an itinerant pastor, Eugene also pursued music professionally. He founded the band Monark and was fortunate to release and tour three albums in the secular music scene, serving as both the band’s writer and frontman. During that same season, while touring and writing music, he also began lecturing in a wide range of biblical disciplines, including New Testament, Old Testament, Hermeneutics, Textual Criticism, Greek, and Homiletics.

As life with the band began to slow down, Eugene and his precious wife, Jess, started a coffee roastery and coffee shop, as well as a film business. At the same time, he continued pursuing his academic career, traveling internationally to collaborate with authors and scholars on various writing projects and books.

Five years ago, God called Eugene back to his first love: ministry in the local church. Through that season, God graciously showed him how to get rid of the clutter and wholeheartedly follow his calling. That journey eventually led Eugene and Jess to the United States, where he served in ministry for four years before being led to Contrast, where he now serves with a calling in his heart and a fire in his soul.

Eugene and Jess have been married for seven years. Together, they share an insatiable thirst for adventure, great coffee, and all things creative. They are constantly trying to outsmart one another, though neither has yet succeeded :) Eugene is absolutely crazy about Jess and continues to learn more each day about how Jesus loves His bride, the Church, and how that shapes the way he loves Jess.

You can connect with Eugene via email here.