When Pastor Jeremy Penrod arrived at Faith Baptist Bible College as a freshman, he planned to stay for just one year.
His parents had encouraged him to attend Bible college for at least a year, and Faith seemed like the easy choice. He had grown up hearing about the school, knew several people connected to it, and even had a grandfather who had served on its board.
“I expected to spend a year there, and that would be that,” Penrod said.
But God had other plans (does that surprise anyone?).
Today, Pastor Penrod serves as the senior pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska—the church where he was born, raised, and called into ministry. Looking back, he sees God’s hand not only in his own journey but also in the life of a church that has experienced God’s faithful provision for more than a century.
A Call to Ministry
Although Pastor Penrod grew up in church and was willing to do whatever God wanted him to do, he admits he never seriously stopped to ask what that might be.
Faith changed that.
After arriving on campus, he was challenged and stretched in ways he never expected. Through classes, ministry opportunities, and faithful mentors, God began directing his heart toward pastoral ministry.
“It was during that second or third year where God made it pretty clear that He wanted me in pastoral ministry,” he said.
What began as a one-year plan eventually became seven years of training, culminating in both a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Divinity from Faith Baptist Theological Seminary.
After graduation, Penrod faced a difficult decision. Both Faith and Temple Baptist Church offered him full-time ministry opportunities. After much prayer, he and his fiancée sensed God’s clear leading to return to Lincoln.
More than two decades later, he and his wife are still serving there.
God’s Faithfulness to Temple Baptist Church
Temple Baptist Church recently celebrated 100 years of ministry. Like many churches with a long history, it has experienced seasons of growth, seasons of challenge, and plenty of unexpected turns along the way.
Yet through every chapter, Pastor Penrod points to God’s faithfulness.
“Our church has existed for 104 years,” he said. “God has seen fit to use our church in some pretty exciting ways over our history.”
One of the most significant lessons came shortly after he became senior pastor in 2013.
Within a few years, dozens of faithful members moved away from Lincoln for jobs, family needs, and other circumstances. First, 16 members relocated.
Then, shortly after the church celebrated its 100th anniversary and began dreaming about future ministry opportunities, another two dozen members moved out of state.
For a pastor, it would have been easy to become discouraged.
Instead, God reminded him of an important truth. “This is God’s church,” Penrod said. “It’s not mine.”
What happened next became another testimony of God’s provision.
While two dozen members moved away, God brought three dozen new people to the church within the following year. Many of the departing members had been key leaders, teachers, and servants. The new families weren’t ready to fill those roles immediately, but they represented new opportunities for discipleship and ministry.
“We could invest the Word of God in them and train them to be effective servants in the local church,” Penrod said.
God continued to provide in other ways as well.
After eight years of planning and preparation, Temple Baptist recently completed a major remodeling project. The church had hoped to tackle the project years earlier, but God’s timing proved perfect. Through faithful giving and unexpected gifts, the congregation was able to complete the project essentially debt-free.
Throughout the construction process, God continued bringing visitors, new believers, baptisms, and opportunities for outreach. In recent months, the church has seen renewed excitement for evangelism and growing connections with thousands of neighbors living nearby.
“It’s just fun to watch God do the work in His church,” Penrod said.
Raising Up the Next Generation
One of the greatest evidences of God’s faithfulness at Temple Baptist has been His continued work in raising up future ministry leaders.
For more than 50 years, God has called men from the church into pastoral ministry. Today, several young men from Temple are currently studying in Bible college or seminary, preparing for future service.
The church has intentionally invested in that mission for decades.
Temple Baptist maintains a fund specifically designed to help young people attend Bible college. Through the years, dozens of students have benefited from that investment, with many choosing to attend Faith.
“Our church has been really good about encouraging young people to spend at least a year at Bible college,” Penrod said.
The connection between Temple Baptist and Faith runs deep. Over the years, five men from the church have served on Faith’s Board of Directors, and countless students have found God’s direction through their time in Ankeny.
For Pastor Penrod, the impact is personal.
“That’s where we’ve grown in our walk with Jesus,” he said.
He often compares Bible college to an extended season of spiritual focus and growth.
“A week at church camp is a great opportunity for spiritual focus and growth,” Penrod explained. “A year at a Bible college is just multiplying the impact of a week of camp.”
As Temple Baptist Church looks toward the future, Pastor Penrod remains encouraged by what he sees. God continues to save people, grow His church, provide for ministry needs, and call young men and women into His service.
More than a century after its founding, Temple Baptist Church stands as a testimony that God is still building His church—and He is still raising up the next generation to carry the gospel forward.
