WHO WE ARE
The Mission of Parkway House of Prayer is to lead people into becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. The main way we share that message is by our various ministries. Whether you want to serve on the mission field or in the community, join a small group, or just connect in a variety of ways the ministries here at Parkway will help you Grow, Connect, and Serve alongside the Body of Christ.
Our Mission...
We believe in salvation by grace. This is a free gift from God, given to all who
believe in His Son Jesus, the Christ, and accept Him as the Lord of their life.
We believe in the deity of our Lord, Christ Jesus. Jesus is God incarnate, and was
manifest in human flesh. He was like us in all ways except for one, being free
from sin.
We believe that the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, is the verbally
inspired Word of God and is the revelation of God to man, the infallible,
authoritative rule of faith and conduct.
We believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Our Beliefs...
Parkway House of Prayer was founded by Robert L. Painter in 1947 and through the life of this church many people have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Since then Parkway continues to make the commitment to lead people into becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Parkway has had a total of five senior pastors through its history and Parkway is now being led by
Pastor Gareth Stephenson.
Parkway House of Prayer is full of rich history but most of all we strive to glorify God with everything we do and reach the lost with the name of Jesus.
Our Story...
Our Staff...
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Pastor Gareth graduated from Kentucky Mountain Bible College in 2015 with a BA in Pastoral Ministries. In 2016, God called him
Senior Pastor
PASTOR GARETH STEPHENSON
from Kentucky to join the team here at PHOP. He truly does have a passion for reaching lost souls and helping redeem broken situations. Early this year, Pastor Gareth and wife Courtney's family got a little bit bigger when their daughter, Lydia, was born and her older brother Grayson is already very protective. If Pastor Gareth isn't found at the church or with his family, you can usually find him building a tree stand in the middle of nowhere.
Being the newest member to PHOP's staff, Pastor Bubba, wife Tori, and son Bear moved here from Kentucky in April 2018. He
Youth Pastor
PASTOR BUBBA JENNINGS
has been serving in ministry for 7 years as either a Youth Pastor, Senior Pastor, or both. He currently is the full-time Youth Pastor at PHOP. If Pastor Bubba isn't surrounded by a ton of youth or with his family, he is making some of the hottest salsa in the world with Carolina Reapers, Trinidad Scorpions, and Ghost Peppers.
Lori started volunteering every Monday to answer the phones, but then she asked if there was anything
Administrative Assistant
Lori Waltz
else she could help with when the phones weren't ringing. She started working on the bulletin first and then she started coming in every day. Lori now works part-time and works on scheduling the other volunteer teams, monthly newsletters, bulletin, and she still answers the phones. If Lori isn't found in her very organized office or with her friends and family, you will most likely find her in her garden.
Lisa Kennerknecht and her family moved here about 7 months ago from California. She came from working at Water
Personal Staff Assistant
Lisa Kennerknecht
of Life Church in California, where she ran their School of Ministry and helped run all their major events. She has been on many mission trips to Mexico to help volunteer at an orphanage there. John (her husband & New Administrator at KCA) and she have three children: Jordan, Shawn, and Ryan. Here at Parkway House of Prayer, she works most of her time with all the organizational parts behind
September 9, 2018, Pastor Dave celebrated his 12th year in ministry. He not only is the Senior Pastor of La Misión
La Misión Hispana Pastor
PASTOR DAVE CALHOUN
Hispana, but Pastor Dave is also a certified legal immigration representative by the U.S. Department of Justice. He works with El Puente located on 402 Hershberger Road. Pastor Dave and wife Sybil celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary in August, 2018. They have 2 sons, Josh, who lives in Florida with his wife Heidi, and Caleb, who married his wife Taylor this year. If Pastor Dave isn't at the church or visiting his son in Florida, he can be found riding his horses.
Melanie graduated from Virginia Western Community College with an Associates Degree in Social Sciences with a focus in
Children's Director
Melanie Thompson
Education. Melanie has attended PHOP for the past 19 years, however, she joined the staff in 2013. She started as the Administrative Assistant, but then God called her to the Children's Director position and has been in this position for five years. She was also given the task of all things related to invites, Social Media, and the website this year. If she isn't surrounded by a sea of children or with her friends and family, she is reading a book that can not be put down.
Jacob and wife Tessa have been attending here for a few years now, while Jacob has been the Worship
Worship Leader
JACOB LAFFOON
Leader. Music has always been a part of Jacob's life. Growing up playing percussion and piano, it wasn't until a little later in his life did he start to work on singing. He truly does have a passion for leading every service with a focus on meeting God face to face and praising God for salvation. If Jacob isn't playing an instrument or singing, he is with his wife and their newest member of their family, their beautiful daughter Emmy.