Trinity Baptist Church Pastor Ben Jennings knew at the age of nine God wanted to give him a home in heaven. He also felt God leading him into the ministry at a young age.
“At nine-years-old I was dealing with the brevity of life, because my mom was really sick in our home, in what would become her deathbed with cancer,” Pastor Jennings remembered.
He recalled he had made a profession of faith five, but began to believe he had perhaps not understood at the young age. He said his dad, who was a pastor, knew he had already understood the gospel. His dad explained how he could trust Christ personally, and Pastor Ben said He knew Jesus had died to provide a home in heaven for him and asked him to be his Savior.
“I understood I was a sinner,” Pastor Jennings recalled.
Growing up as the son of a pastor, serving the Lord just became a natural part of his life. He thinks that is how God began to lead him to the ministry.
“My call to the ministry was I kind of grew up in church,” he explained, adding he often watched his dad lead people to the Lord, disciple them, and even provide counseling to those with troubled marriages. He watched as the people his dad influenced became involved in church as Sunday School teachers, deacons, and in other ways.
“I loved Mission Month,” Pastor Jennings remembered. “We would do a month of missions, instead of a mission day.
The Pastor remembered eating with missionaries. Serving God just seemed natural, as he always felt the Lord touching him. As a junior in high school, he accepted the call to full-time ministry.
“I always had a desire to pastor in church and knew that was what God wanted in my life,” Pastor Jennings explained.
He served as Associate Pastor at Sonshine Baptist Church in Punta Gorda, Florida from August 2006 to January 2014 and as Outreach and Assimilation Pastor at Canton Baptist Temple in Canton, Ohio from 2014 until accepting the call to be Pastor at Trinity this year. He always felt if God wanted him at a particular church, someone from that church would contact him.
It happened, and he had conversations with Trinity Baptist deacon Brian Kelly about the possibility of being Pastor at Trinity. He also discussed the opening with Canton Baptist Tabernacle Music Minster Eric Hiltibidal, who previously had the same position at Trinity.
“I definitely feel like my view for the ministry is for it to continue to make disciples of all nations,” Pastor Jennings explained the view he believes God has given him for Trinity.”I would love to see God raise up someone to go to the mission field.
“I already have a love for this church and the people of this church”, Pastor Jennings said, ”I don’t know anyone really well. I feel that’s God working in my life. Everyone has been so warm,” adding he has received numerous welcome cards and other examples of love from Trinity members.
He has two degrees from Baptist Bible College: a Master’s Degree in Church Ministry in 2011, and a Bachelor of Science in Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology in 2004. He met his wife, Megan at Bible college, and the two married in 2006. Pastor Ben and Megan have three children: Melana, 10; Audrey, 8; and Ezekiel, 4.