Pastor Ivan Pitts was approached by a man on his driveway and viciously attacked outside his home. The assailant stabbed Pastor Pitts seven times – in his left eye, back, shoulder and neck. Both lungs were punctured and bones in his eye socket and shoulder were broken.
After fighting off his assailant, the pastor was able to run for help from some construction workers. They came to his aide, called 911 and as a result of swift law enforcement action, the assailant was apprehended and is now in police custody.
Thankfully the Pastor’s life was spared. The doctors are saying he is extremely lucky. He is currently in surgery to repair three cuts to his left eyelid and a tendon. Prior to surgery he was in great spirits, coherent, able to see, speak, and of course, crack jokes etc.
We pray for the surgery to be performed without complications and for his complete recovery. Pastor Pitts will then be moved into ICU for a couple of days to recover during this time. His wife, Tanishé, is doing well while their children have also been made aware of this shocking news.
Pastor Pitts is a native of Los Angeles, California known for his unique style and enthusiastic delivery of the Word. He believes that Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Evangelism, and Service are key areas of concentration for a healthy and growing church.
In October 2012, Pastor Pitts was called to serve Second Baptist Church (SBC) in Santa Ana, CA as its 11th pastor. Under his leadership, not only has the church’s membership grown, but in 2014, Second Baptist also completed a $376,000 building project which expanded the campus to 8,350 square feet. The expanded facility now includes a youth worship center and classrooms to accommodate all Christian education.
In 2016, Second Baptist adopted a second campus located in Lake Forest, CA which has affectionately become known as the ‘South Campus’. The union of the two locations birthed Second Baptist’s message of Sharing Christ, Building Believers, Caring for All.
Pastor Pitts earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science from San Diego State University, a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from Clark Atlanta University, a Master of Arts degree in Religious Education in Pastoral Studies from Fordham University and lastly, a Doctorate of Ministry degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling from the New York Theological Seminary. He has also studied at the Interdenominational Theology Center (ITC). Rev. Pitts has traveled to several places throughout the world, most notably Nigeria, Pakistan, Japan, Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Guam. Many of his travels occurred while serving in the United States Navy, where he received an honorable discharge in 1991.
He has held positions in both the corporate arena and within higher education. He worked for IBM as a Human Resources Generalist and Recruiter. In education, he worked as an administrator and instructor at Clayton State College (Morrow, GA), Medgar Evers College CUNY (Brooklyn, NY), and as an Adjunct Professor at Western Connecticut State University, teaching in the Psychology and Sociology Departments. Pastor Pitts continues in his love for teaching as an Adjunct Professor at California State University of Fullerton (Fullerton, CA).
As a leader in the social and civic arena, Pastor Pitts has served as a member of the Board of Directors for Jericho Partnership, Pathways Danbury, and Association of Religious Communities (ARC). Additionally, he served as President of NAACP (Danbury, CT Branch) and President of the Congress of Christian Education for the Connecticut Missionary Baptist Convention. His current memberships include Kappa Alpha Psi, Incorporated and a member of the Board of Trustees for the New York Theological Seminary of the West.
Pastor Pitts always values the time he spends with his family. He is a devoted husband to his wife, Tanishé and a loving father to his 3 daughters, Imani, Rhyan, and Eryn and to his son Master Donovan.
If you desire to send cards or flowers, Pastor has asked that they be sent to the church office at Second Baptist Church located at 4300 Westminster Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92703.
Your prayers are greatly appreciated.