By Morgan Mizell

The Natchez Democrat

JONESVILLE — First Pentecostal Church in Jonesville, Louisiana will host an anniversary celebration at the church today at 11 a.m. to honor Pastor Jack Knapp, who has led the congregation for forty years.

“I have been in ministry for more than fifty years,” Knapp said. “I actually began when I was fifteen years old, and I have never really thought about doing anything else.”

Knapp mentioned a dream he had in his youth, which convinced him of his path in life.

“My father had been preaching all of my life, and I learned a lot from him,” Knapp said. “In this dream, at about fourteen, I could see all of these people falling into Hell. I could hear their screams and cries, and I just knew, at that age, this was what I was going to do.”

Knapp began preaching shortly after his dream, at the age of fifteen.

“I preached during the summer months,” Knapp said. “I was an evangelist at revivals, and I was a guest in the homes of members where I was preaching.

Knapp married his wife, Shirleen, during his senior year of high school.

“I was sixteen and he was seventeen,” Shirleen said. “In the next year we set off to pastor our first church in Larto, Lousisiana.”

The couple will celebrate fifty-two years of marriage on March 9th.

Knapp said he was in Larto for a while, but when he felt he was being called elsewhere he came to preach in Jonesville and they decided to accept him as their lead pastor.

“I suppose that one detail that sticks out the most to me are the charter members that I met when I got here,” Knapp said. “Through the years, I have performed services for elders, their children and their grandchildren. I think the last of the charter members actually passed a few years ago. You go through a lot in forty years.”

Knapp mentioned keepsakes and clippings he has collected during his time pastoring the church.

“I have shoeboxes filled with paper clippings from the papers of services I have performed,” Knapp said. “I have also filled my office with mementos given to me from members of the church.”

Knapp’s daughter, Kim Knapp, said her father formed bonds with members of the community, especially the children.

“I can remember kids running up to daddy, and being so excited because they wanted to make something nice for him or draw something nice for him,” Kim said. “They wanted to do something special for him, because he had a way of making them feel special.”

“Jesus said in Matthew, ‘Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of heaven,’” Knapp said. “ I always want to treat the kids special; I try to get down and look them in the eye and listen to what they say and compliment them.”

Knapp said kids don’t always get a lot of encouragement, or love in their homes or in their every day lives.

“We want to love them while they are here, in the church,” Knapp said. “They will remember where they were loved.”

Knapp mentioned love, and the treatment of others, as being a large part of his ministry.

“Everyone wants to know they are significant,” Knapp said. “If you make people feel like they are somebody, they will respond.”

The family shared various memories, but overall, they expressed a sense of joy for the time they have served at the church, and the all felt the change to be bittersweet.

“This has been our life for so long,” Shirleen said. “It has been a pleasure being here; there are so many good people here and we love them so very much.”

The church has been a mainstay in the family’s life as Pastor Knapp worked at the church, pastored, and took care of the property as well.

“Daddy did everything here,” Kim said. “He was at the office every day praying and studying, but he has also been the handyman, custodian and lawn keeper. That is just what he did.”

Knapp’s service to the church will not end, as he will move into the position of senior pastor/bishop.

“The position is really more of a supportive position,” Knapp said. “I will be here to assist the new pastor in any way I can, and I plan to spend more time with my grandkids and great-grandkids. I will also fill invitations to preach when I am asked. This has been my life for more than fifty years and it will be until I die.”

The family agreed it has not always been an easy path, but it has been worth it.

“As a pastor’s family, there were times when we, as his children, had events and special things going on that he could not attend because he was attending to someone else,” Kim said. “It is a life of sacrifice, but we never wanted for anything, and we were all involved in the church. I played drums, my sister Teressa played piano, mom played the organ and we all sang, including the youngest, Lisa.”

Shirleen said that in the years of pastoring, their church family grew—as did their immediate family.

“We have three beautiful daughters: Teressa, Kim and Lisa,” Shirleen said. “We also have seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.”

Knapp plans to spend a lot of his time with his family.

“It will be an adjustment not being at the church everyday,” Knapp said. “I plan to get more involved with my grandkids and great-grandkids, and spend a good bit of time with my fishing pole.”

Knapp said any young person who may be considering a life of ministry should make their calling and elections sure.

Pastor Bruce Lofton will officially take over the lead pastor position this Sunday.