BY GREG MILLER
STAR Correspondent
Missions is a very important part of the work of the Elizabethton First Church of the Nazarene.
“I have preached numerous times in the country of Haiti,” said the Rev. Kenley Knight, the church’s pastor. “The first trip was in 2008 and my assignment was to preach three or four times. What was supposed to be three or four times during the trip turned into three or four times a day. It was an amazing trip. Nights were spent preparing sermons and the days were spent preaching up into late evening and then doing it all again.
“The people were so hungry for the Word. Some of the churches were fairly nice and big block buildings and some were little more than palm tree branches, all of which were packed each service and people standing outside looking in. I have made several trips over the years. Perhaps the Lord will allow us another trip in the future. Travel restrictions are very high for Haiti. I would love to travel to Israel someday.”
According to Knight, the Elizabethton First Church of the Nazarene “began out of a tent meeting and was established in 1938. We have served the Elizabethton church for over 14 years.”
Knight says he came to know Jesus Christ as his personal savior many years ago. “I was a young adult thinking I was really living,” he recalled. “However, I quickly learned that I had lost control and was out of control. The chains of sin and its bondage was quickly destroying my life. It was then I happened to find myself attending a Nazarene church with a friend. For several weeks I hated the thought of going to church but felt compelled to do so. It wasn’t long until solid Biblical preaching convicted my heart and God began to move in my life. I was saved and not long after I yielded total control of my life to the Lord. Jesus was more than just a savior to me, Jesus became Lord of all. It was then that I realized there had been a radical change in my life over the past several months. Those were the days that I began to sense the call to preach the gospel. That’s when I turned in my two weeks’ notice to Coca-Cola Enterprises and left for college at Hobe Sound Bible College.
Knight has been in full-time ministry for more than 20 years. “Before I served in youth ministry, nursing home ministry, prison ministry in Broward and Martin counties and street preaching in Bell Glades in Florida,” he said. “I also served as Associate pastor in my home church in Cleveland, Tenn., while doing my internship. I received a B.A. degree in ministry and a minor in Bible from HSBC in Hobe Sound, Fla., 1993-1997. Locally, I have served as vice president and president of the Carter County Ministerial Association. More recently, I have been a part of prayer retreats and discipleship training through the Church of the Nazarene. As ministers in the church, we are required to continue education and keeping our hearts and minds active.”
Knight is not sure he has a favorite passage from which to preach. “I do find some passages easier to preach than others,” he said. “One of my greatest weaknesses is preaching on heaven. I feel that our best attempts to describe the glory and splendor of heaven fall extremely short and inadequate. I really love the book of Romans to preach from because it clarifies and simplifies the universals of sin, salvation, sanctification, selection (Whosoever Will), and service.
“I would have to say that my favorite Bible character to study in the Bible is the very person of Christ Himself. However, if you are referring to the other great heroes of the faith I would have to say the Apostle Paul. The life of Paul is characterized by what we should all display. Paul was radically changed once meeting Jesus, Paul was equally if not more so passionate about living for Jesus as he was once set on destroying the things of Christ. Paul was willing to sacrifice, and sharing the gospel was Paul’s central theme.”
“Entire Sanctification,” according to Knight, is a very important doctrine in the Church of the Nazarene. “I would not say that ‘Entire Sanctification’ is the easiest doctrine to preach on but it is the doctrine that makes the Church of the Nazarene distinct,” he said. “It’s certainly not difficult to preach on, but it can be difficult to comprehend. The Nazarene church roots go back to the Wesleyan/Arminian doctrine. We are a Christian people, a Holiness people and a Missional people. Entire Sanctification is the act of yielding our lives to Christ as believers. Thus the blood of Christ cleanses the heart of sin and the Holy Spirit fills us entirely! John Wesley called it ‘Love Made Perfect.’ Our Articles of Faith can be accessed easily online for all inquirers.”
According to Knight, “way too many people have been distracted by worldly and church culture. Our assignment is really pretty simple. The mission in college was ‘To know Christ and to make Him known.’ I think our mission and goal is to reach souls for Christ. We do not need to be ignorant of modern tools and helps available to us. However, the gospel of Jesus Christ must always be our message. In every aspect of ministry it requires sharing the gospel of Jesus. If we are not wisely sharing the gospel, we really can’t call it ministry. It may be social, political, or even inspirational, but please do not call it ministry!
“My wonderful wife, Kristi, is one of those kind of people that are like a rare heirloom or diamond,” Knight said. “She is simply irreplaceable. Kristi has worked for several years in the research department at the V.A. She works 30 hours per week. Not only does she work almost full time, but she also has homeschooled our 11-year-old and 15-year-old daughters since kindergarten. She has a Master’s Degree in Elementary education from East Tennessee State University, and a B.A. degree from Pensacola Christian College where she majored in Music and minored in Bible. Kristi also serves as the adult Sunday school teacher, music director, piano player, singer and does an exceptional job preparing our bulletins each week. Needless to say she is the greatest blessing to me and my ministry. A special thanks to her and all those pastors’ wives who do so much with so little reward or recognition. A minister’s spouse’s support is essential to the success of ministry.”
The Knights have two daughters: Kylie and Kamryn. “Our oldest daughter is Kylie who will be turning 15 and is going into 10th grade,” Knight said. “Kylie has been enrolled in East Tennessee Ballet for 10 years and has gone to many summer ballet camps locally and last year attended a camp in Pennsylvania for five weeks. She also helps with the ministry such as children’s church, VBS, nursery, singing and filling in for Sunday school teachers when needed.
“Kamryn is 11 years old and going into sixth grade. Like her sister, she also has done ballet since she was three years old. Kamryn loves the outdoors and being around animals, especially horses. She attends horse camp each summer. Kamryn has a beautiful voice for singing, she is always willing to help in the church. She has a gift of encouragement.”
Sunday school and small groups meet at 9:45 a.m. Sunday. Sunday’s worship services begin at 10:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday’s Bible study and prayer meeting begin at 7 p.m. The church is open at 6 p.m. on Wednesday for prayer.
“I really try to be a teacher during the Wednesday night Bible studies,” Knight said. “However, sometimes the preacher comes out in me. I would probably be considered an evangelistic style preacher, and have offended people from time to time with strong clear biblical preaching and truths. I make no apologies for the truth. I pray and ask God to help me preach according to the Spirit and not the flesh.
“We have a men’s prayer breakfast every second Saturday at 8 a.m. and a ladies’ meeting every second Saturday at 11 a.m.,” said Knight. “We also hold two weekly services in nursing homes, one of which is at Life Care on Wednesday morning. We also serve at TLC quarterly through Feeding the Multitude. We have been involved in the East Tennessee Christian Home & Academy, operate a small food pantry, Angel Tree ministry, Samaritans Purse, and many other ongoing ministries. These mentioned are all local ministries and not to mention a list of global ministries through the Nazarene Church. We have involved other churches in the area with ministries to the country of Haiti where we have sponsored several trips.
“I do believe it is important to our church to change our community. We have actively been involved in many outreaches and ministries in our community. We participate in many of the ministries already listed, along with many more. We continue to be involved by evaluating our ministries to make sure they are gospel oriented.
The Rev. John Hodge is the church’s associate pastor. “He has always been a help to me by filling the pulpit in my absence, Sunday school, and bus ministry,” said Knight.
Elizabethton First Church of the Nazarene, which is part of the East Tennessee Church of the Nazarene, is located at 200 West “I” St., Elizabethton. For more information, visit the church on Facebook, email Elizabethtonfcn@yahoo.com or call 423-213-0890.