Who We Are
Our Mission
Reaching People For Christ;
Teaching People To Follow Christ.
Derek Simonis Campus Pastor
Pastor Derek counts it a privilege and honor to serve as the pastor of Kenwood Baptist! Thanks to the influence of praying parents and a faithful Sunday School teacher, Derek was raised in church and saved as a young boy.
A military veteran, Derek was stationed at Fort Campbell for six years and served on multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. While stationed at Fort Campbell, Derek met his sweetheart, Jana, in church and they were married in 2009.
In 2009, Derek surrendered to a call to preach and began fulfilling that call while still in the military. He preached in jail ministry and special services. Following his time in the military, he served as an assistant pastor, and he later sang as part of Liberty Quartet out of Boise, ID.
In 2019, Derek and Jana began to sense a heavy burden and a call from the Lord to return to Clarksville, TN, to enter full-time ministry. He along with his wife, Jana, and their sons, Daniel and Avery, were called to serve at the Kenwood campus at the beginning of 2021. They are excited to see what God is going to do through the ministry of Kenwood!
Derek considers Romans 12:1, 2 to be his life passage which states
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Julie Webb Worship Leader
Julie accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior when she was a young child at First Baptist Church of Salem, MO. Julie learned discipleship through her parents’ and grandparents’ faithfulness to the Lord.
Julie grew up singing gospel music with her family, and she continues that legacy, singing gospel music with her own children. She loves singing about Jesus Christ, ministering to others through song, and she considers music her primary form of worship.
Some of Julie’s favorite Christian artists and musicians include Jason Crabb, Elevation Worship, The Cathedral Quartet, The Isaacs, and Chris Tomlin.
Our Beliefs
About The Bible & Church
We believe that the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, should be our ultimate authority on all things because it is the infallible, unerring Word of God, which we should fervently strive to know and follow. -2 Timothy 3:16 & 2 Peter 1:20
We believe His house, and specifically Kenwood Baptist Church, should be called a house of prayer where we focus on prayer, praising Him, and studying His Word. -Matthew 21:13
We believe there is only one true and living God who exists as a trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being. -Mark 12:29, Matthew 28:19, & 1 John 5:7-8
We believe Jesus is both fully God and fully man, born of a virgin. -Titus 2:13, 1 John 4:2, & Matthew 1:23
We believe that Jesus died as the perfect, sinless sacrifice to erase the sins of all who place their faith in Him. -1 Peter 2:22-24
We believe Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God and advocate for all Christians. -John 11:25, Acts 1:9-11, Colossians 3:1, & 1 John 2:1
We believe that Jesus Christ will come to earth again to conquer Satan and to reign as the King of Kings. -Matthew 24:44, Revelation 19:6, & Revelation 19:19-20:4
About God
About Us
We believe that man, all of humankind, have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. –Romans 3:23
We believe that sin separates us from God and that there is only one way to atone for that sin and enter into God’s presence in heaven: by believing in Jesus Christ, the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. –Isaiah 59:2
We believe that salvation is a gift from God through His grace and not our works, even though true faith should be accompanied by works. –Ephesians 2:8 & James 2:17
We believe that all who place their faith in Him are assured of their salvation. –John 3:16
About Salvation
After Salvation:
The Christian Life
We believe Christians should follow the baptism examples of the New Testament by being fully immersed in water as a profession of their faith. -Matthew 3:16 & Romans 6:4
We believe that Christians should have a personal relationship with God that involves prayer without ceasing and a constant personal study of His Word. -Deuteronomy 6:6-9, John 4:14, John 15:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, & Revelation 3:20
We believe that the power of the Holy Spirit should be felt – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control – by believers who seek Him and that by living in the Spirit we can conquer fleshly desires. -Galatians 5:22-23
We believe Christians should follow the Great Commission that Christ gave to his disciples, to go out and make disciples of others. -Matthew 28:19-20
We believe that there is only one church in heaven and and on earth, where Christians unite in working together for His glory. -Romans 12:5
We believe that Christians should have more passion for God than for our favorite team in the Super Bowl. -Exodus 20:3 & Matthew 22:37