Sandhill Christian Baptist’s Jared Timberlake has received what he considers to be an honor of a lifetime, with a nomination from Representative Brad Wenstrup to give the opening prayer this December on the House Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Timberlake has been preaching at the Sandhill Christian Baptist Church since 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic shook the world. He says that it was a serious test for him but feels blessed to have had such an accepting and supportive board that helped him get the church through a mentally-taxing time that would change mindsets forever. Through their dedication to their faith, and some hard work, church leadership continued practices that made their presence known in the community, survived the long shut down, and left the ordeal with new techniques and tools in their pockets—such as their invigorated online presence.

“This is a great honor that not many people have; I’m very excited about it,” Timberlake said. “When I received the invitation, I was very excited and honored. I often pray for the leaders of our country. To have the opportunity to pray for and with them, in person, together, is a tremendous honor. The Bible tells us we are to pray for our leaders. To get to go to Washington and be able to that is an amazing feeling.”

Timberlake says his church means the world to him, feeling a strong sense of responsibility and ownership in it. He proud to represent them in D.C.

His predecessor to the pulpit was his wife’s grandfather, Ronnie Blevins, who served the church for 45 years. Timberlake has massive respect for the pastor emeritus, saying he learned a lot for him.

Just before Blevins retired, Timberlake and his wife were working with the church youth, learning from Blevins in all ways that he could.

“For about four years before he retired, I would travel with him as he made hospital visits,” Timberlake said. “I would help with baptisms and really just tried to stay in his back pocket to learn as much as I could from him.”

Once the decision was made to make Timberlake the church’s preacher, he says that he was thrilled beyond measure.

“It was overwhelming and exciting,” Timberlake said. “It was something I knew God was calling me to do. The way it played out was just a very heartwarming experience.”

Additionally, the church has been taking steps to serve two communities that the congregation call home.

The location of the church puts it very close to the boundary of Wheelersburg and Franklin Furnace.

Timberlake is a Wheelersburg High School graduate and native who now resides in Franklin Furnace. He has deep roots in both communities, and it makes him perfect at reaching out to fulfill their mission to both groups of people.

“We treat both communities as if they’re our home communities,” Timberlake said. “We try to do different outreach activities and show love for both Wheelersburg and Franklin Furnace. Of course, we’re always working on ways we can just love on Scioto County as a whole as well. We want all 75,000 people to know we are a home for them. We are very blessed to be where we are, though, and with the people we are with.”

The group has been stepping up outreach activities that include free prayer stations, feeding programs, outdoor services, and are even planning community movie nights on the lawn.

“After Covid, we kind of reestablished our vision of what we wanted to be in the community and what we wanted to be for people when they took their walk with Jesus,” Jerad explained. “We want to take church out of the four walls of our building, out into the community, and let people know we are here and we can help them.”

Timberlake finds a lot of benefits in programming that steps out of the church.

“Some people have a fear of coming to church, as far as what they think it might be,” Timberlake said. “When you bring the church into the community, you can show people that you’re there for them.”

Sandhill Christian Baptist Church is at 188 Midway Avenue, Wheelersburg, Ohio and Timberlake says anyone is welcome.

“Anyone is welcome to attend our services,” Timberlake said. “Our church slogan is ‘We are a family,’ so, anyone who comes through those doors, whether it is their first visit, or they’ve attended for years, we strive to make them feel like family.”

The church posts videos to YouTube the day after livestreaming on Facebook. The church also offers a kid’s ministry, teen ministry, young adult ministry, women’s ministry, and men’s ministry. For more information on the church, visit www.sandhillcbc.com.

For now, Timberlake is preparing for his prayer with much anticipation and thinking to his grandfather-in-law, who he knows will be with him in spirit.

“He would be very excited about it and very proud,” Timberlake said. “He was a veteran and in politics for many years. He served as Green Township Clerk. I think he would see what I am doing, spreading the word of God, and just be so proud.”

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved.

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