Staff | trinitycburg.org

John Altizer, Ph.D. | Lead Pastor

John was born in the coalfields of southern West Virginia and later moved to a farm, where he learned the value of hard work. His desire to serve others led him to the Christiansburg Police Department, where he served for several years. Feeling called to teach God's Word, he moved to Winston-Salem, NC, for training and began pastoring a church. After completing his undergraduate studies, John pursued further education, earning a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Baptist Bible Seminary in Clarks Summit, PA. He served as a lead pastor for seven years before becoming a missionary teacher with Baptists Equipping Nationals and the National Theological College and Graduate School. John remains active in missions worldwide, serves on two mission boards, and is the Chair of the Bible Department at NTCGS.

In 2011, John and his family returned to Christiansburg, where he became the lead pastor at TCC. He enjoys reading, mechanics, working outdoors, operating equipment, and occasionally hunting and fishing with his boys. Most of all, he loves spending time with his wife and family.

Brian Cockram | Associate Pastor

Brian joined the Trinity team after years of experience in various areas including seventeen years in the pastorate and ten years in higher educational administration. Having served as a senior pastor in two previous churches in North Carolina and Virginia, Brian is uniquely equipped to serve as Associate Pastor and has a passion for discipleship and church growth. The vision set forth at Trinity, to "point people to Jesus" is a perfect fit for Brian's desire to see others come to Christ and be equipped to lead others to Christ. Brian also serves in various other capacities including Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Carolina University (Formerly Piedmont International University) and Baptist Equipping Nationals. He is a graduate of Piedmont International University with a Bachelor of Theology degree and also holds a Master of Higher Educational Administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Growing up in nearby Floyd, Virginia, Brian and his family enjoy the outdoors and often visit Floyd to spend time with his mother on the family farm. His personal interests vary widely from hunting and fishing to restoring old vehicles. Having a firm belief that God has distinctly created us with the individual personalities and interests to build bridges with other, Brian often uses these interests as a tool to bring others to Christ.