7 Questions with Kenneth Terry

This week we bring you a self-proclaimed “Mountain man.” So, put Alabama’s ‘Mountain Music’ on in the background while you enjoy this read. Kenneth Terry serves as the Director of Missions for the Mother Lode Baptist Association. Some refer to him as Dr. Ken while others for the past 30 years have referred to him as Pastor Ken. A loving husband, and father to three grown children, and 8 grandchildren, he finds “glamping” to be a much-enjoyed activity shared with his wife in their camper-trailer. He, too, shares the ranks with many a pastor who identifies with the “Jack of All Trades” designation; fully embracing the ideology of “if it's broken, I have to fix it.” A lover of 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth,” studying his Bible is one task that stays on the top of that ever-growing to-do list. As Pastor Ken puts it, “it has become the passion of my life.”

I just finished reading Pastoring Small Towns, by Ronnie Martin and Donnie Griggs. It spoke to the relationship I have always known being a small church pastor much of my life. In fact, I’d go as far as to say a “tiny church” pastor, meaning, less than 20. Overall, I enjoy reading books that keep me fresh in the Word.

Haha. Well, ALL of them of course! I read this every week and have really been thinking what my answer would be and I narrowed it down to two! The first would be the Patriarch Joesph of Israel, especially after he was elevated to second in command by Pharaoh. The second would be the Apostle Paul. The energy he had and the work he did! I’d love to talk to him about his strategy.

I knew that was coming… Let it be understood: In the outback, where I’m from, In-N-Out and Chick-fil-A do not exist. My preference is Carl’s Jr. and that isn’t one of the choices you’re offering me. So, if I had to choose, I’d go with In-N-Out simply because I’m not a big fan of chicken.

I have basically lived in extreme rural areas of California. If you haven’t developed a relationship with the people in your community, you can’t open the door for the gospel. And for those that don’t know what the mountain community is like, if you don’t have an invitation to come to someone’s home, you might be met with a gun! Relationship evangelism is where it starts for me.

I have not done too many of those personality/leadership assessments. When I have taken personality assessments, the primary response indicates that my personality is melancholy – which is surprising based on where God has placed me. It just goes to show that God can and will use anyone, no matter who you are, because that is exactly what He has done with me.

This one is kind of a good little chuckle. At my last church we had a mid-week Bible study that we held every Thursday. For 17 years that is what my wife and I did. Every Thursday. And then on this one particular Thursday, we made plans to go to dinner and forgot all about the Bible study. We didn’t think a thing about it. Later on, that night, the deacon from our church called us, worried that something had happened to us. We certainly worried our little church that night, and we were just out having a great time together.

The Good Shepherd. I like the passage from Psalm 23; how He treats and loves His sheep even when we are the most undeserving. For me it is just very comforting.