On Sunday, September 7th, First Baptist Church of Blanco will welcome Dr. Bill Gernenz, wife Heather, and their family to Blanco. Dr. Gernenz has a servant’s heart for leading Christ’s church. In speaking with Dr. Gernenz about the new opportunities in Blanco he said, “We are excited to be here. We have been humbled and blessed by the welcome we have received by the church and others we have met. We look forward to serving the church and community in the Gospel. Our focus is to grow in the gospel as a church and then mobilize to take the gospel to those around us. That’s my desire as we plug in and press forward.”
Dr. Gernenz has earned three degrees; a Bachelor of Arts with a Theatre Arts major from Baylor University, a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, and a Doctorate of Ministry in Expository Preaching from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.
Dr. Gernenz surrendered his life to Christ while a sophomore in high school. He has served 18 years in vocational ministry, and was licensed to the ministry by First Baptist Church, The Colony, Texas, in 1992. He was ordained to the ministry in 2000 by First Baptist Church, Groceville, Texas. He has served as youth pastor in three churches. The last church where he served as youth pastor was Living Hope Baptist Church in College Station. According to Dr. Gernenz, “The pastor there was a wonderful and dear friend who was invested in my ministry. I am still very close to him, and to the college students I served there.” Dr. Gernenz felt God’s call into pastoral ministry while he served in College Station. Since that time he and his family have served a loving group of believers at First Baptist Church in Elkhart, Texas.
Dr. Gernenz is a native of the Chicago area and moved to Texas when he was in sixth grade. He grew up near Dallas and is an official transplanted Texan! Dr. Gernenz met his future wife, Heather, as they worked together at a Christian camp one summer. Heather attended schools in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Orange, Texas. She is a graduate of Texas A&M and her family lives in Houston.
Since their marriage the family has grown to include six children. The children are: oldest son, Noah, who is almost 13; daughter Addison, 10; son Tanner, 8; daughter Emily Kate, 6; son Hudson, 5; and son Josiah who is almost 19 months old. Of the children Dr. Gernenz says, “All of our children have always been home schooled, and we made this decision when Noah was three or four years old. We find that the older ones are such a blessing to the younger ones as they are able to help them with their schoolwork.”
Dr. Gernenz likes reading, traveling, and baseball. He welcomes opportunities to coach Little League, serve as a Cub Scout leader, and engage homeschooling communities. Participation in seminars and conferences enable Dr. Gernenz to continue his education. Mission trips, especially to Ethiopia and Zambia, allow him to share with others what he has been blessed to learn.
Dr. Gernenz has been called of God to lead and serve at First Baptist Church of Blanco. His personal statement is rooted in deep beliefs about the role of Christ’s church. “…My desire for Christ’s church is that she make an impact – on individual lives, families, communities, and ultimately, on the world. I understand the role of pastor to equip the saints for the work of ministry. I hope and pray to effectively accomplish that task primarily through a faithful preaching ministry and then also through any other available means. In a post-Christian culture it is becoming increasingly vital that believers understand what they believe and how it affects the entirety of their lives. In short, I believe in the supremacy of Christ, the sufficiency of Scripture, and the power of God. I believe that the Church’s priorities must be the Great Commission and the Great Commandments. Through the Church, God is redeeming a people for His own possession that they might know Him, serve His purposes, work for His glory, labor for His kingdom, and rejoice in His goodness.”
The fruits of the Spirit in Dr. Gernenz’s life bear witness to his love of Christ through his compassion for others, his profound desire to know God and His Word, and faithful service to the Church and surrounding community. The following words from his blog http://brokenandundone.org/ provide insight to his servant’s heart; “More than anything, for myself and my family, I want to know, experience, and enjoy my great God and Savior. Having become a Christian my sophomore year of high school, I have come to know (even if in part) the love of God, the sinfulness of my heart, the power of His grace, the reality of Christ’s sacrifice, and the joys of being His child.”
The church family of First Baptist Church of Blanco welcomes Dr. Gernenz, Heather, and their family, and looks forward to helping each family member find a special place of service in the church. You are welcome to join them on Sunday, September 7th, at 10:45 a.m.
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