After attending Wyebrook Baptist Church in Elverson for four years, where he also taught Sunday school and led the Awana teen group, Kenneth Miller was recently named the church's new pastor.

The church held a retirement service and luncheon for outgoing pastor J. Perry Stewart on Dec. 15, 2024, and Miller's first service as the new pastor was held on Jan. 5.

Miller graduated in 2022 from Cairn University in Langhorne, where he majored in computer science and minored in Bible. "I wanted to get a job in the computer science field. I was thinking about money and success," said Miller. "There was a church plant we were attending in Philadelphia, and there was a revival service. I felt the Lord convicting me that I wasn't serving Him; I was serving myself. Right then, I decided I needed to focus on ministry."

Miller and his wife, Karmen, wanted to find a local Baptist church to attend that could help him with his faith goals. "We looked at a whole bunch of churches in the area," said Miller. "I was looking for a church home and looking to serve in ministry. We visited quite a few. It was a three-month-long process visiting different churches and deciding where we should go."

After choosing Wyebrook Baptist Church, Miller asked Stewart for guidance. "I told the previous senior pastor I felt the calling to ministry, and he took it upon himself to disciple me for a couple of years," Miller noted.

Stewart recommended that Miller lead Awana and Sunday school, which he enjoyed because he already has experience in teaching. "My dad is a pastor, and he has been pastoring for 52 years now," said Miller. "I did grow up in a teaching field with helping him and ministering with him."

Eventually, Stewart told Miller of his plans to retire and recommended that Miller fill the vacancy. Miller and his wife were then interviewed by church leaders.

"First, we came before the board - the leaders of the church - and they vetted us. They asked us a bunch of questions about doctrine, the Bible and what we believe," Miller recalled. Then, the board recommended me to the congregation as a candidate for pastor." Miller preached the Sunday service for four weeks last August, followed by a congregational vote.

Sunday services at Wyebrook Baptist Church are traditional and include both hymns and praise songs. Miller describes his preaching style as very traditional. "I go chapter by chapter from the Bible. We will read a chapter and break it down, which is the expositional style," he explained.

Future plans for the church include offering more community-based programs. "My main goal this year is to do community outreach events, like a back-to-school event for kids. We are also looking to expand our youth (program)," said Miller. "When the hurricane went through North Carolina, we had someone come in with a trailer, and people from the church and the community loaded up the trailer with supplies. We want to help out with causes (like that)."

He also encourages those looking for a new church or those who have not attended church for some time to visit Wyebrook Baptist Church to experience its traditional style of worship.

"We want to invite more people in," Miller stated. "I'm not looking to add my own flair. I am looking to take biblical truths straight out of Scripture and apply it to us. One thing I try to do and one of my strengths is taking Scripture that was written to a culture and people that lived thousands of years ago, but we can still apply it ourselves today and to our lives."

Miller recently moved into the church parsonage with Karmen and their daughters, Eden, 3, and Isla, 1. "(The congregation members) have been wonderful," Miller noted. "When we moved into the parsonage, they were welcoming us and giving us gifts and asking us if we needed help moving,"

Miller added that he looks forward to leading the church into the future. "It's both exciting and a little scary," he shared. "I want to make sure I am doing His will and not my own. It's so easy when you get a blank slate to get yourself involved in it - what you want to do - (rather than) letting the Lord lead instead."

Wyebrook Baptist Church, which has been serving community members from the Elverson, Honey Brook, Glenmoore and Morgantown areas since 1968, is located at 62 New Road, Elverson. Sunday school for people of all ages is offered at 10 a.m., followed by the Sunday morning worship hour at 11 a.m. Coffee and fellowship takes place prior to Sunday school. Awana, which features a game time and Bible study lesson for youths, is held at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.

For more information about the church, visit http://www.wyebrook.org. Those with questions may call 610-942-3447 or email pastor.kmiller@gmail.com.