Our Leadership
Pastor Joe Henson grew up in a pastor's home on the island of Guam, in the south Pacific. Through his childhood and growing up years he attended Christian school and was active in his local church. Later he was privileged to attend and graduate from Bob Jones University with a BA in Bible and a minor in Creative Writing and from Bob Jones Seminary with an MA in Pastoral Studies. It was during his college years that he met his wife, Kristi, who also graduated from BJU with a BS in Elementary Education and an MA in Counseling. Kristi also grew up in a godly home in the hills of West Virginia.
Following graduation God gave them much valuable experience serving Him in a variety of workplaces and ministries, including: Northland Camp and Conference Center in Dunbar, WI; Grace Bible Church in Moore, SC; Keystone Baptist Church and Christian Academy in Berryville, VA; and We Preach Christ Ministries based in West Milford, WV (Evangelist). During his time in evangelism Pastor Joe also worked as a delivery driver and a "handyman" to pay bills between meetings. In each of these opportunities the Lord taught the Hensons more and more about Himself and about the people they minister with and to. Every step they took worked within them an ever deepening understanding of and passion for their God, His Word, and His people.
In January of 2006, the Lord led Pastor Joe, Kristi, and their daughter Karis Grace to our church, and soon added one more "bundle of joy", Elissa Faith, to their ranks in November of that year. From the day they arrived, the focus of their ministry here has been getting "back to the basics." Pastor Joe consistently preaches the vital need for a proper understanding of, dependence upon, and submission to the truth of God's Word; the need for a humble, faithful, and passionate walk with Christ; the need for an active and purposeful obedience to the will and commands of our God; the need for a fervent desire to know and demonstrate the glory and majesty of God; and the need for an increasing burden for and commitment to reaching and making disciples of the lost and dying in our community and the rest of the world. It is their utmost desire that God be glorified in everything that is done here, and that God’s people would be shaken from the all-to-common state of complacency that plagues the church of Jesus Christ, today.