Wilkenings to Join Faculty and Staff at Faith Baptist Bible College
March 23, 2023
ANKENY, Iowa—Faith Baptist Bible College is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Dennis Wilkening as professor of Biblical Counseling, and his wife Lori as Assistant Dean of Women. The Wilkenings will be moving from their ministry in the state of Washington and will begin their duties on July 1, 2023. They will be replacing Dr. Kraig and Laura Keck who have served in the same capacities since 2020 and will be transitioning to pastoral ministry.
Dr. Wilkening served as the lead pastor at First Baptist Church of Colville, Washington, for the past 11 years. The Lord blessed the ministry in Colville through their emphasis on evangelism. First Baptist tripled in size with more than 170 salvations in 10 years. Prior to their ministry in Washington, the Wilkenings served in pastoral positions in Houston, Texas, and Ashland, Ohio.
The influx of new believers into his congregation gave Dr. Wilkening abundant opportunities for counseling and discipleship, in which he is well trained. Dr. Wilkening earned his Ph.D. in Biblical Counseling from Louisiana Baptist Seminary, his Master of Arts in Theology from Louisiana Baptist Seminary, and his B.A. in Bible from Pensacola Christian College. He has a deep passion for counseling.
Dennis and Lori have been married for 28 years, after meeting at Pensacola Christian College (PCC). Mrs. Wilkening earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master’s in Elementary Education from PCC. They have two children, Collin (22) and Clayton (19), both of whom will continue to reside in Washington. Dr. Wilkening’s hobbies include guitar, wakeboarding, hiking, and outdoor recreation. Mrs. Wilkening’s interests include hiking, golf, and visiting national parks.
The Wilkenings are excited to begin a new chapter in life and ministry together. Their passion for evangelism and discipleship, along with their experience in counseling and youth ministry, will suit them well for their new role.
“What excites me most about this transition is communicating to the students the dramatic life changes that we have seen take place through personal evangelism and Biblical counseling,” said Dr. Wilkening, “and equipping them with the tools to bring others the life-changing hope of the Gospel.”