Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr. is an American Baptist pastor, author, and denominational leader who has served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Maryland since 1989. Licensed to preach at just 15 years old, Jenkins grew the congregation from 500 members into a two-campus megachurch drawing more than 10,000 people in person and 35,000 more online. In 2022, he made history as the first African American president of Converge, a 170-year-old movement of more than 1,600 churches, cementing his place as one of the most influential Black Baptist pastors in the Washington, D.C. area.
[IMAGE: Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr. preaching at First Baptist Church of Glenarden]
John K. Jenkins Sr. at a Glance
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Full name | John K. Jenkins Sr. |
| Born | Not publicly confirmed |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Trina Jenkins (m. 1980) |
| Children | Six children |
| Grandchildren | Seven |
| Education | |
| Graduate | Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership, Wheaton College (2023) |
| Honorary degrees | Honorary Doctor of Divinity, Southern California School of Ministry (2001); Honorary Doctor of Divinity, Denver Seminary (2022) |
| Ministry | |
| Title | Senior Pastor |
| Church | First Baptist Church of Glenarden, Landover and Upper Marlboro, Maryland |
| Since | 1989 |
| Licensed to preach | 1973, at age 15 |
| Denomination | Baptist, affiliated with Converge |
| Denominational role | President, Converge (since September 2022) |
| Website | fbcglenarden.org; johnkjenkins.com |
| Career | |
| Books | Grace to Grow: Creating a Healthy Church in Unhealthy Times (2023) |
| Church attendance | Over 10,000 in person, more than 35,000 online |
Early Life and Background
Detailed public information about John K. Jenkins Sr.’s birth date and childhood has not been widely published through official sources. What is well documented is how early his ministry calling took hold: Jenkins was licensed to preach in 1973 at just 15 years old, developing what he has described as a lifelong love for the Lord from an early age.
Jenkins has spoken about his early years in ministry as a bivocational pastor in his mid-twenties, driving 55 miles each way to serve a rural congregation while still working another job to support himself. That early grind, searching for the right words for his first sermons as a teenager and commuting long distances to preach, shaped the persistence that would define the rest of his career.
Education
In May 2023, Jenkins earned a Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership from Wheaton College in Chicago, Illinois, a credential he completed decades into his pastoral career rather than before it. He also holds two honorary doctorates: a Doctor of Divinity from the Southern California School of Ministry in Inglewood, California, awarded in 2001, and a second Doctor of Divinity from Denver Seminary in Littleton, Colorado, awarded in 2022.
Ministry Career: Building First Baptist Church of Glenarden
Jenkins began his pastoral journey in February 1987 as senior pastor of Union Bethel Church in King George, Virginia. Those nearly three years of ministry became, in his own words, the training ground for what came next. In October 1988, Jenkins learned that his mentor, Dr. John W. Johnson, pastor of his home church, First Baptist Church of Glenarden, had passed away. One year later, in 1989, Jenkins returned to First Baptist to become the congregation’s seventh senior pastor, stepping into the pulpit of the church that had shaped his own faith.
At the time, First Baptist Glenarden had roughly 500 members. Under Jenkins’s leadership, the church grew steadily into a two-campus megachurch, with locations in Landover and Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The Upper Marlboro campus, dedicated in 2007, includes a 4,000-seat sanctuary inside a 205,000-square-foot facility spread across 160 acres, while the Landover ministry center spans 105,000 square feet on 13 acres. The church also operates a 53,000-square-foot Empowerment Center providing emergency community resources and a 63,000-square-foot Family Life Center with recreational and fitness space, both aimed at extending the congregation’s reach well beyond Sunday services.
Founding SHABACH! Ministries
In 1996, Jenkins founded SHABACH! Ministries, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of First Baptist Church of Glenarden that provides clothing, food, education, and other resources to the greater Washington, D.C. community. Jenkins now serves as chairman emeritus of the organization, which has operated for nearly three decades as one of the church’s primary vehicles for community outreach.
Rise to Prominence: Leading Converge
Jenkins’s influence extended well beyond his own congregation over the years. He served for two years as vice president and executive director of National Ministries for Converge, a movement of more than 1,600 churches that plant and strengthen congregations and support more than 240 missionaries worldwide. In September 2022, Jenkins was appointed president of Converge, becoming the first African American to lead the 170-year-old organization, a milestone that placed him at the head of one of the larger evangelical church-planting networks in the country.
Jenkins has also served on the boards of numerous organizations over the years, including the National Association of Evangelicals, where he serves as board chairman, Project Bridges, The Skinner Institute, and the Greater Prince George’s County Business Roundtable. He has formerly served on the boards of Bethel University, Denver Seminary, University of Maryland Capital Region Health, World Vision, Great Dads, and Teen Challenge.
Books and Publications
In 2023, Jenkins published his first book, Grace to Grow: Creating a Healthy Church in Unhealthy Times, released through Zondervan with an introduction by T.D. Jakes. The book draws on Jenkins’s decades of pastoral experience to offer other church leaders practical guidance for building healthy congregations, addressing frustrations pastors face when their churches feel stuck or directionless. Pastor Larry Osborne of North Coast Church praised the book as an informative, practical tool for church leaders navigating an unhealthy broader culture.
Personal Life
John K. Jenkins Sr. married his wife, Trina, in 1980. Trina accepted Christ as her personal savior in 1976 at Good Hope United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, during a service where her future husband was the youth preacher, a detail she has described as feeling like it came from a Christian fairy tale. The couple has six children and seven grandchildren, and Trina serves alongside her husband in ministry as First Lady of First Baptist Church of Glenarden, spending her time supporting the church community and her family.
Outside of ministry, Jenkins is a licensed pilot and has said flying brings him great personal enjoyment. Despite his extensive denominational and board responsibilities, he has consistently described his role as a family man as his highest personal treasure.
Theology and Ministry Philosophy
Jenkins ministers within the Baptist tradition, with First Baptist Church of Glenarden affiliated with Converge, a movement historically rooted in Baptist General Conference churches. His preaching and writing center on what he calls developing “dynamic disciples,” helping individuals grow into lifelong followers of Christ capable of strengthening their families and communities.
That philosophy runs directly through Grace to Grow, where Jenkins argues that healthy churches require intentional leadership and clear direction rather than simply hoping for growth to happen on its own, a conviction shaped by his own experience turning a 500-member congregation into a megachurch reaching tens of thousands.
Influence and Legacy
Jenkins’s more than three decades leading First Baptist Church of Glenarden, growing it from 500 members to over 10,000 in-person attendees and 35,000 online viewers, places him among the more significant Black Baptist pastors to lead a congregation in the Washington, D.C. metro area. His 2022 appointment as Converge’s first African American president extended that influence into national denominational leadership, a milestone that reshaped the historic organization’s top leadership for the first time in its 170-year history.
First Baptist Church of Glenarden has also drawn national attention through high-profile guests, including hosting President George W. Bush for a program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the church has won multiple Hoodie Awards recognizing it as one of the best African American churches for its community impact.
Criticism and Controversies
John K. Jenkins Sr. has not been the subject of any significant, well-documented public controversy. His more than three-decade tenure at First Baptist Church of Glenarden and his rise to the presidency of Converge have proceeded through steady, publicly celebrated milestones rather than scandal. No allegations of financial, moral, or doctrinal misconduct appear in credible reporting connected to Jenkins’s ministry.
Net Worth
No independently verified net worth figure exists for John K. Jenkins Sr. Neither First Baptist Church of Glenarden nor Jenkins’s personal ministry materials publicly disclose salary or personal financial details, and Flicxa does not present a speculative figure as fact given the absence of verified disclosure.
Awards and Recognition
- Honorary Doctor of Divinity, Southern California School of Ministry (2001)
- Honorary Doctor of Divinity, Denver Seminary (2022)
- First African American president of Converge, a 170-year-old organization (2022)
- First Baptist Church of Glenarden has won multiple Hoodie Awards for Best African American Church
Interesting Facts About John K. Jenkins Sr.
- He was licensed to preach at just 15 years old, in 1973
- He grew First Baptist Church of Glenarden from 500 members to more than 10,000 in-person attendees and 35,000 online viewers
- He earned his master’s degree in ministry leadership in 2023, decades into an already accomplished pastoral career
- He is a licensed pilot who flies as a personal hobby outside his ministry responsibilities
- Bishop T.D. Jakes wrote the introduction to Jenkins’s first book, Grace to Grow, published in 2023
Timeline of Key Events
- 1973: Licensed to preach at age 15
- 1976: Meets his future wife, Trina, while preaching as a youth minister
- 1980: Marries Trina
- February 1987: Becomes senior pastor of Union Bethel Church in King George, Virginia
- October 1988: His mentor, Dr. John W. Johnson, pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenarden, passes away
- 1989: Becomes the seventh senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenarden
- 1996: Founds SHABACH! Ministries, Inc.
- 2001: Receives an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Southern California School of Ministry
- 2007: First Baptist Church of Glenarden dedicates its new Upper Marlboro campus with a 4,000-seat sanctuary
- 2018: The church inaugurates a community center with a gymnasium and health club
- 2022: Receives an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Denver Seminary; appointed president of Converge, the first African American to hold the role
- May 2023: Earns a Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership from Wheaton College
- 2023: Publishes his first book, Grace to Grow, with an introduction by T.D. Jakes
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Pastor John K. Jenkins?
John K. Jenkins Sr. is an American Baptist pastor who has served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Maryland since 1989, and as president of Converge, a national church-planting movement, since 2022.
Is Pastor Jenkins a pastor in Maryland?
Yes. Jenkins leads First Baptist Church of Glenarden, which operates two campuses in Maryland, one in Landover and one in Upper Marlboro.
When was John Jenkins born?
John K. Jenkins Sr.’s exact birth date has not been publicly confirmed through official sources. He was licensed to preach in 1973 at age 15, which places his birth year around 1957 or 1958.
How many children does Pastor John Jenkins have?
John and Trina Jenkins have six children and seven grandchildren.
Who is Pastor John K. Jenkins’s wife?
His wife is Trina Jenkins, whom he married in 1980. She serves as First Lady of First Baptist Church of Glenarden and accepted Christ during a service where Jenkins was preaching as a youth minister in 1976.
What is Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr.’s net worth?
No independently verified net worth figure exists for John K. Jenkins Sr. Neither he nor First Baptist Church of Glenarden has publicly disclosed personal financial details.
Where is First Baptist Church of Glenarden located?
The church operates two campuses in Maryland: one in Landover and one in Upper Marlboro, both part of the Washington, D.C. metro area.
Final Word
John K. Jenkins Sr. was preaching before he could drive, and more than five decades later he’s leading a 170-year-old denominational movement as its first Black president, all while still pastoring the same Maryland church that raised him in the faith. Between the Empowerment Center, the Family Life Center, and a book aimed at helping other pastors avoid burning out their own congregations, Jenkins has spent his career building things meant to outlast a single Sunday.
Read Also
No other biography in our archive shares a close enough ministry, denominational, or professional connection with John K. Jenkins Sr., beyond T.D. Jakes, already linked above, to recommend here.
