Rev. Kenley Knight and Family


Rev. Kenley KnightIt has been my honor and privilege to serve for over 18 years as pastor for the Elizabethton First Church of the Nazarene. In my early 20’s I began to attend the Nazarene church in my hometown of Cleveland, TN.  It wasn’t long until I began to sense deep conviction for my sinful lifestyle.  With sincere repentance, I turned to Jesus for forgiveness and was gloriously saved from my sins.  There was such a transformation I wasn’t really sure what to do with myself.  Shortly after, I realized that even though I was saved I needed to yield my life to Christ for cleansing from sin.  Upon surrender, Jesus cleansed my heart and filled me with the blessed Holy Spirit.

Soon after, I begin to feel the Lord calling me into full time ministry.  I was concerned about this calling, but I was also confident that it was God’s will for my life.  In 1992, I received my first local license and was district licensed in 1993.  From 1993 to 1997 I was at Hobe Sound Bible College in Hobe Sound, Florida preparing for ministry.  During that time, I trained in many different rolls of ministry.  Services during this time involved street ministries in Bell Glades, FL, prison ministry in Broward and Martin County maximum security penitentiary, and youth ministry pastor in a Wesleyan church in Hollywood, FL.  I was the vice president of the ministerial class at Hobe Sound Bible College my junior year and president my senior year.  I was able to travel on occasion during this time to hold revival services.

After returning back to East Tennessee, I received my first pastoral call in March of 1998 to the Wartburg First Church of the Nazarene.  I was ordained an Elder in the Church of the Nazarene during this pastorate.  It was during this time that I met my beautiful wife, Kristi. We were married in the Wartburg Church in October of 2001. We transferred to the Tennessee district in 2002 and pastored the Savannah First Church of the Nazarene until coming back to the East Tennessee district in 2005.

Knight Family

Since the earlier days of ministry Kristi and I have been blessed with two wonderful daughters, Kylie and Kamryn. Both have been homeschooled by their devoted mother. Our older is at Trevecca Nazarene University and is excelling in her calling and education. Our younger daughter is a sophomore and beginning to really open herself  up to the future God is leading her in. I am a very proud of my family.

I am also very proud to be the pastor of Elizabethton First.  I know assumptions can be dangerous and disappointing, however, I assume the church must really love us to keep us around for so many years.  I am very thankful to be at a place that accepts evangelical preaching, the message of Heart Holiness, and just an average fellow as their pastor.

As a pastor in this present world and culture, I am even more determined to contend for the faith that has been delivered to us by the Lord Jesus Christ.  May God help us to be His hands and feet to reach out to the lost and hurting.  Culture is pressuring the church to conform to be like the world.  But what the world desperately needs is to see a people who have been transformed into the image of Christ.  It is my prayer that we at the Elizabethton First Church of the Nazarene can be, and are being, that kind of people.