Category: POTW

Serving since 1994, Pastor Ken Gilmore is the Lead Pastor at Keystone Wesleyan Church.  The church is located in Saline, Michigan.

http://keystonechurch.us/home/learn-grow/messages/

He didn’t start out as Lead Pastor however. First arriving in 1994 as the Youth Pastor, Pastor Ken developed his ministry and eventually was invited to become the Lead Pastor in 2006. “This is my family having lived here longer than any other church or community that I have ever been part of,” says Pastor Ken.  He is celebrating 22 years pastoring at this, his first church he ever pastored.

Graduating from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1994 he eventually found his way to a staff position in the church where are his talents of preaching/teaching and leadership have helped to develop a congregation of over 600 people today. Nestled in a small community near the University of Michigan, Pastor Ken has found a passion and a ministry with people in the community. Passionate about reaching people, his congregation has partnered with local community service organization to provide volunteers and an incarnational form of ministry. He stated, “Love Where You Live” is a new motto that has been emerging to emphasize the congregation’s role in partnering with various community service organizations to meet the tangible needs in the area.”

Proximity to the University of Michigan has provided Keystone with a unique opportunity to serve students, athletes and even coaches from the university. In 2007 the IWU Chorale was on hand for a special service when then U of M Football Coach, Lloyd Carr’s grandson was dedicated. Pastor Ken serves his community by volunteering as a member of the Saline Community Addiction Prevention Task Force, as well as speaking and praying at various community gatherings.

In recent days he was inspired to challenge his church through a difficult funeral of Lloyd Carr’s grandson.

Pastor Ken is a gifted speaker.

He shared that his story was a journey of God’s Call and his responding with the Call over time. “God has given me a life purpose having called me into the ministry when I was a teenager,” says Pastor Ken. “It was during a Tony Campolo conference that I was challenged about full-time Christian service,” stated Pastor Ken. “I wasn’t interested in missions but God was working on me.” Dwight Robertson, now with Kingdom Building Ministries was leading music and representing the Indiana Wesleyan University. “He brought materials about the University in which I eventually came for a campus visit but I was not one-hundred percent sure what I wanted to do with my life,” admitted Pastor Ken. It was during his college years at the Spiritual Emphasis week at IWU that he fully dedicated himself to full-time Christian service under the ministry of Rev. Jimmy Johnson, speaker during the special series of services. Pastor Ken comes from a legacy of ministry within his family “It wasn’t just that my father, Grandparents and Great grandfather were pastors, the Lord made His Call on me clear,” added Pastor Ken.

Pastor Ken met his wife, Diane at IWU. She was studying Medical Technology and her final year she did a residency program in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Pastor Ken traveled with Master’s Praise and upon graduation accepted his first ministry assignment with Keystone. “While dating Diane we were separated by several hundred miles which deepened our relationship,” says Pastor Ken. They have been married for over twenty years. In fact, Pastor Ken shared that his wife is the reason for any success he may have in his ministry.

“I am not only extremely grateful to have served in one ministry and community for such an extended period of time but also that my wife has been an integral partner in ministry as well. The faith formed in her at IWU, even though she was not pursuing a ministry degree, equipped her to be a great spiritual support to me and the church and a great witness in her work and social environments outside of the church. I wouldn’t be here without her.”

Pastor Ken’s life verse is from Psalm 25. He summarized the passage in our discussion, “Show me your ways, Oh Lord. Teach me your path.” He shared that “this passage of scripture was in fact the text for the very first sermon I ever preached. Adding, “It spoke to me as I was reading the Psalms during my devotions and has always guided my life.”

Pastors deal with challenges and change in every church. Under Pastor Ken’s ministry he stated that the most difficult time was during the recession of 2007 and 2008. The downturn to the economy forced many to have to seek new employment outside of the state of Michigan. “People that have grown up in this church were suddenly having to move to find new employment,” he shared. The growth of the church was challenging.  He admitted that, “We saw ourselves as a sending church as leaders transitioned to other churches having moved to seek new employment.”

Challenging other pastors and ministry leader he wanted to share with me that every minister should realize that his family should come first. He told me that his number one ministry is to his family. Having attended a pastor’s conference he learned that nothing is more important than his family. He summarized this by saying that if “I were to leave the church they will find another pastor but if I am not there for my family they will not find another father and husband. My goal is to fulfill my family commitment first.”

Pastor Ken is this week’s Pastor of the Week. Congratulations Pastor Ken and thank you for your ministry!

Written by Rev. Rick Carder, Director of Alumni & Church Engagement at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Heather Kinnan Semple was named lead pastor of Red Cedar Community Church in 2012. Her husband, Jeff, serves as the worship and arts pastor. Red Cedar Community Church has grown significantly since Semple was placed in charge, and many have come to know Christ. According to an article written on Wesleyan Life, “134 people received Christ on Easter Sunday and 98 were baptized the following Sunday.” (Reference which edition or link to article) Semple’s main ministry is to the “de-churched.” She reaches out to those who are angry with the church, providing them with healing and renewal. The area is home to many migrant workers and holds great Lutheran and Catholic populations. Red Cedar Community Church takes mission trips into their own community. Semple works to instill the idea of giving in a Christ-like manner. Rev. Rick Carder, Director of Alumni and Church Engagement said this of Semple, “I have seen the impact Pastor Semple has made in the lives of pastors. She is not only an exceptional speaker, but her insights are both practical and transformational for leaders.” Heather served as a part-time spiritual formation pastor prior. Her husband, Jeff serves as worship leader at the church.

Semple recently spoke at General Conference of The Wesleyan Church sharing her personal journey. The video below documents the speech and her personal testimony of leading Red Cedar Wesleyan Church. She speaks of “obedient risk,” referencing Proverbs 21:1, “Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; He directs it to whatever ends He chooses.”

She shared that the influence of Dr. Harry Wood help define her future. She recalled how he told her parents that God had something for her to do. In the speech, Semple said, “He would spend however long and however many years it took praying for me to bring me to the place where I would surrender to that.”

Heather received her education through Southern Wesleyan University in 1997. Her degree was Elementary Education. Heath Mullikin interviewed Heather in the Technology Show.

“Pastor Semple is recognized as this week’s Pastor of the Week because of her dedication to spiritual leadership and the impact she has had on her community, church, and the pastors she trains and develops,” says Carder. Semple received her recognition with humility and gratitude during a personal presentation by Carder while attending the Wisconsin District Conference of the Wesleyan Church. She comes from a multi-generational family of pastors serving the local church but is the female pastor in the Wesleyan Church from the Kinnan legacy family.

She was presented with the PotW mug by Dr. David Wright, President of IWU. IWU and the Church Engagement Office salute her personal and ministry achievements. She has sent students to IWU and continues to provide expertise and leadership seminars across The Wesleyan Church.

Pastor Heather will be speaking at the 2016-2017 Chapel Summit Week at IWU.

Written by Emily Lehner, a writer for the Alumni Center and a sophomore Writing major at IWU. She is active on the cross country and track teams. She is passionate about using her writing skills to share the good news of Christ with others and writes often on her personal blog at www.emilylehner.wordpress.com.

(Additional contributions provided by Rev. Rick Carder, Director of Alumni and Church Engagement.)

Pastor Jack Steenbergh is the Lead Pastor at Coleman Wesleyan Church in Coleman, Michigan. He is also considered a community leader. “Being a community leader calls me to connect with different people in the community, connect with different groups in the community, and encourage our church to open doors to the community so we can bring people in and help them to know Christ,” he said.

Coleman Wesleyan Church works hand-in-hand with local businesses and organizations. The town of Coleman is agriculturally-based and suffers from poverty. However, Steenbergh and the members of Coleman Wesleyan Church see this as an opportunity to be a missionary-minded church to the community. They’ve started a lunch in the park each week for kids in the community. The church has also dedicated a special youth building to youth and family ministries. “We are finding that one of the great opportunities we have is that people enjoy connecting with others in the community. Therefore, they are willing to be baseball coaches or something like that to help people be more involved and be a light and witness to the community,” Steenbergh said.

Steenbergh became a Christian at the age of 14. At 16, he became a member of his church and a year later, he was sent as a representative for his church to district conference. He, then, attended Baker College of Owosso, Michigan. He planned to study Accounting, but when he arrived, he realized that Accounting wasn’t an option. He stayed, though, to study Ministry, and then planned to attend elsewhere for an Accounting degree after. However, in a Theology class, he felt strongly that The Holy Spirit was leading him to solely Ministry. A verse that he learned from that day, that still remains an anchor for his ministry is 2 Corinthians 4:1, “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.”

Steenbergh just completed his 47th year of pastoring. A life verse that he has held tightly to is 2 Corinthians 5:9 which states, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” Steenbergh also serves as Assistant District Superintendent for the North Michigan District and lead in spiritual formation, church renewal, and coaching. He continues to persevere and lead, not only Coleman Wesleyan Church, but the town that surrounds it.

Upon receiving the recognition Pastor Steenbergh was greeted by Dr. David Wright. “It is an honor to recognize such an outstanding leader in The Wesleyan Church.” says Rick Carder, Director of Alumni and Church Engagement. Carder says, “Pastor Jack is a man of integrity and exhibits joy in his ministry.”

Pastor of the Week (PotW) is awarded to exemplary leaders. These leaders demonstrate integrity and provide leadership that serves the local church.

Written by Emily Lehner, a writer for the Alumni Center and a sophomore Writing major at IWU. She is active on the cross country and track teams. She is passionate about using her writing skills to share the good news of Christ with others and writes often on her personal blog at www.emilylehner.wordpress.com.