Rev. Gene Kessler - Outreach Director

Bro. Kessler has gleaned much experience from serving as pastor of two different Baptist churches prior to his coming to Friendship in 1988. As Outreach Director for the last 4½ years, Gene has helped organize and maintain a weekly visitation program. He oversees and participates in regular preaching services at a local jail and is the teacher of the vibrant Berean Sunday School class.

Here is Gene's account of his salvation experience: "There are two people that stand out above the rest in sharing the role of leading me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord. At a time when I was not interested in anything spiritual, a co-worker left me with a life-changing statement, 'Gene, you don't seem to need God today, and I hope you will never need Him.' Wow! That nearly floored me. I was upset about it for weeks. But the matter passed and 'I forgot about it until my neighbor began to witness to my wife and me. She pestered me until I agreed to go to church and sit with her family. During that service the statement my co-worker had made kept coming to my mind. I knew that I needed God and that He actually loved me. Then and there I took him as Lord of my life and nothing has been the same since that day."

Bro. Gene is a 1981 graduate of Tennessee Temple University. He and his wife Linda have been married for 37 years. They have two grown children. He is very optimistic about the future of Friendship Baptist Church. "Many exciting things are happening here at Friendship. The church recently called a young, exciting new pastor to lead them into the twenty-first century. Bro. Bob Vradenburgh and his family bring with them a fresh and wholesome attitude and knowledge for the ministries here at Friendship. We are looking to God and to the future with excitement of what God can and will do."