Who We Are

Our Mission

Reaching People For Christ;

Teaching People To Follow Christ.

Staff

Pastor Al Hodges

Dr. Al Hodges was called as Pastor and began serving Kenwood January 1, 2026. He is married to Karen, his wife, and ministry partner of 50-plus years. Together they have served 26 years as Southern Baptist missionaries, planting churches in W. Africa and S. Asia.

Additional ministry responsibilities have included leadership in missionary strategies, teaching pastors in the West Africa Francophone School of Theology, Lome, TOGO, training Southern Baptists in cross-cultural communication of the Gospel, and serving as interim pastor for various churches.

Brother Al holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, a Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, LA, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, MO. He and Karen also speak French and several African languages (in their missionary work) and continue to have a heart for reaching all peoples of every race, tribe, language and culture for the Lord’s glory, according to the Revelation 7:9 vision.

Brother Al and Karen love to spend time with their three children and their spouses, along with their ten grandchildren. They also like to travel and see new places, peoples and cultures, and try new foods from around the world.

Our Beliefs

We affirm and agree with the Baptist Faith and Message of 2000. You may click the link below to download and view a copy.

Download

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

Our Goals

OUR GOAL IS TO OBEY THE GREAT COMMISSION IN MATTHEW 28:19-20 IN THE FOLLOWING WAY:

-Reaching people with the good news of Jesus

-Teaching people all Jesus’ commands helping them to live effectively for Christ

-Loving God and loving one another, caring for each other as a Christian family, while extending God’s love to our community and the world