Seth Koenig
Head Pastor
In 1980 at the age of 6 my mother sat me down on her lap and shared with me the greatest story ever told - how that Jesus died for my sins, was buried and rose again three days later. In the years that followed I would zealously tell all of my friends about this Jesus who was coming back one day. I was, of course, the unpopular "Jesus boy".
By the time I reached my teen years, I was wayward. I decided to try the world and the popularity of not being associated with Jesus. Enjoying sin for a season, I was. Happy, I was not.
The Lord saw fit to send someone my way who began to preach to me at our place of employment. He had the joy of Jesus in him. I was bitter. The more he preached, the angrier I got. One particular day this coworker was really working me over (or should I say that the Holy Spirit of God was working me over?) and I began to yell at him. "Don't tell me about Jesus! I already know Jesus!" These words that came pouring out of me pricked my own heart. How can I know someone I haven't talked to in years? What had become of my relationship with him?
Later that night, broken, I prayed for the first time in years. I begged Jesus to forgive my sorry state of being. It was a long, tear-filled confession. But my relationship with Jesus began anew. Joy returned. A smile I didn't know was gone had come back. People I knew would see me smiling and ask, "What's wrong with you?" Apparently I had been so miserable that even a smile on my face made people question what had happened to me. Witnessing opportunities began to abound. I picked up where I left off - telling everyone I knew about this Jesus that saved me.
Now, I wish I could say that I joined a good church, went to Bible school and became a pastor shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, I ended up in a charismatic "Word of Faith" church for lack of not really knowing where to attend. I spent a couple of years there, meeting my future wife during this time, and served with her before we were married at this so-called church. But I read and I studied. And it became clear that the doctrine of the church was not in line with the doctrine of scriptures. I went to the pastor. To keep this short, he stopped me from quoting the Bible and said that they believed what a particular television preacher believed. In other words, "Don't give us the Bible, sonny - we aren't interested." A week later, my fiance and I were kicked out of the church for having questioned the doctrine.
Now what?
The last place I wanted to be was in a Baptist church. But having bounced from one church to another in search of something that wasn't charismatic, I was willing to try the unthinkable Baptist church that my mother (God bless her) had pointed out. Little did I know that I was entering a King James only Baptist Church. How did I find that out? Well, on what I think was our second visit, a woman sat down next to me, saw the NKJB sitting in my lap, leaned over and said as bluntly as possible, "Do you know you're reading the devil's book?"
Let's just say that I was desperate for the truth. I had been played by false doctrine. I had been praying daily for the Lord to show me the truth. So, I was ready for the cold hard truth - no matter how bluntly it had been delivered.
There is one Savior - Jesus. It is not out of God's character to have one English Bible. It made me study the Bible more thoroughly. Words meant things. God had perfectly preserved His word. No more preachers telling me that there are "better renderings". Jesus is perfect. His word is perfect. I fell deeper in love.
This is supposed to be a snippet of my life - not a book. So, I will greatly abbreviate from here. I was married to Wendy Kujawski in 1999 by the pastor of our little Baptist church. I served as faithfully as I knew how until the day something was planted in my mind by someone in the church. "You're going to be a pastor one day," she said. Huh? It had never entered my mind. Before I knew it, I was off to Bible school with my pastor's blessing. Four years of traveling to Rochester from Buffalo for Bible School while working a full-time job. It was a great test of character. It was as if God was personally asking me, "Will you finish what you set out to do, or will you quit?"
I was ordained in 2008 and set off to start a church from ground zero. At the time of this writing it is 2022 and I have been the pastor of Bible Believers Church for 14 years. I have yet to quit. By God's grace, I never will. Thank you, Lord - for not giving up on me.
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:2).
By the time I reached my teen years, I was wayward. I decided to try the world and the popularity of not being associated with Jesus. Enjoying sin for a season, I was. Happy, I was not.
The Lord saw fit to send someone my way who began to preach to me at our place of employment. He had the joy of Jesus in him. I was bitter. The more he preached, the angrier I got. One particular day this coworker was really working me over (or should I say that the Holy Spirit of God was working me over?) and I began to yell at him. "Don't tell me about Jesus! I already know Jesus!" These words that came pouring out of me pricked my own heart. How can I know someone I haven't talked to in years? What had become of my relationship with him?
Later that night, broken, I prayed for the first time in years. I begged Jesus to forgive my sorry state of being. It was a long, tear-filled confession. But my relationship with Jesus began anew. Joy returned. A smile I didn't know was gone had come back. People I knew would see me smiling and ask, "What's wrong with you?" Apparently I had been so miserable that even a smile on my face made people question what had happened to me. Witnessing opportunities began to abound. I picked up where I left off - telling everyone I knew about this Jesus that saved me.
Now, I wish I could say that I joined a good church, went to Bible school and became a pastor shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, I ended up in a charismatic "Word of Faith" church for lack of not really knowing where to attend. I spent a couple of years there, meeting my future wife during this time, and served with her before we were married at this so-called church. But I read and I studied. And it became clear that the doctrine of the church was not in line with the doctrine of scriptures. I went to the pastor. To keep this short, he stopped me from quoting the Bible and said that they believed what a particular television preacher believed. In other words, "Don't give us the Bible, sonny - we aren't interested." A week later, my fiance and I were kicked out of the church for having questioned the doctrine.
Now what?
The last place I wanted to be was in a Baptist church. But having bounced from one church to another in search of something that wasn't charismatic, I was willing to try the unthinkable Baptist church that my mother (God bless her) had pointed out. Little did I know that I was entering a King James only Baptist Church. How did I find that out? Well, on what I think was our second visit, a woman sat down next to me, saw the NKJB sitting in my lap, leaned over and said as bluntly as possible, "Do you know you're reading the devil's book?"
Let's just say that I was desperate for the truth. I had been played by false doctrine. I had been praying daily for the Lord to show me the truth. So, I was ready for the cold hard truth - no matter how bluntly it had been delivered.
There is one Savior - Jesus. It is not out of God's character to have one English Bible. It made me study the Bible more thoroughly. Words meant things. God had perfectly preserved His word. No more preachers telling me that there are "better renderings". Jesus is perfect. His word is perfect. I fell deeper in love.
This is supposed to be a snippet of my life - not a book. So, I will greatly abbreviate from here. I was married to Wendy Kujawski in 1999 by the pastor of our little Baptist church. I served as faithfully as I knew how until the day something was planted in my mind by someone in the church. "You're going to be a pastor one day," she said. Huh? It had never entered my mind. Before I knew it, I was off to Bible school with my pastor's blessing. Four years of traveling to Rochester from Buffalo for Bible School while working a full-time job. It was a great test of character. It was as if God was personally asking me, "Will you finish what you set out to do, or will you quit?"
I was ordained in 2008 and set off to start a church from ground zero. At the time of this writing it is 2022 and I have been the pastor of Bible Believers Church for 14 years. I have yet to quit. By God's grace, I never will. Thank you, Lord - for not giving up on me.
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:2).
Joseph Metty
Associate Pastor
The best decision that I have ever made; was trusting Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior at age 7. I was blessed by two wonderful Christian parents that raised me in a Bible believing church. I met Pastor Seth in 2013, and started attending and serving at Bible Believers Church in the spring of 2015. Thanks be to God for the wonderful church body at Bible Believers Church, it is a blessing to serve them and to serve with them. After my ordination in June of 2018, I believe that I was led to oversee the Jr. Church and primary classes of our Children's Church; what a blessing it has been. My beautiful wife of 11 years serves right along with me and is supportive and just as "addicted to the ministry" as myself. We have 3 very active young boys who keep us on our toes. Our family is involved with the various ministries that our church offers. Please keep us and our Church in your prayers. They are greatly appreciated!
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;"- Col. 3:23
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;"- Col. 3:23