About our Pastor
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Pastor Dan KnepperThe local church has been a major part of our lives longer than we can remember. The church provides us answers for life and, as our family, proves to be the source of our closest friends, counselors, and support team. I am so glad to have a faithful wife, Cindy, who shares in my passion for ministry. Cindy and I love our 7 children and 14 grandchildren who still play a major role in our lives. We met in ministry as camp counselors at Northland Camp and Conference Center. While in Bible college, I served Faith as Sparks director and bus driver for the AWANA club. It is now great joy that I serve as pastor.
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Cindy and I are dedicated to the family and desire that Faith will always be family friendly: strengthening marriages and discipling children. As pastor, I am dedicated to Ephesians 4:1-3, 11-13.
"…to walk in a manner worthy of the calling….to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…."
I do not want to proclaim my message or my words, but rather, to help people hear and understand the Word of God. My goal is that all of us hear God and then obey, ultimately living out the gospel message. We are thankful to God and our church family for this opportunity to serve in this capacity. We are grateful that we do not do this ministry alone, but walk with families here at Faith.
"…to walk in a manner worthy of the calling….to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…."
I do not want to proclaim my message or my words, but rather, to help people hear and understand the Word of God. My goal is that all of us hear God and then obey, ultimately living out the gospel message. We are thankful to God and our church family for this opportunity to serve in this capacity. We are grateful that we do not do this ministry alone, but walk with families here at Faith.
Church History
In the fall of 1975, a few families began meeting near Pembine for prayer and Bible study at the Edwin Hanson home. While there were other churches in the area, none preached the Gospel of grace, nor did any preach with absolute confidence in the Scriptures. After a season of prayer, they believed God would have them begin a church and contacted the Wisconsin Fellowship of Baptist Churches. Gus Carnes, the Missions Director, came and assisted the group in becoming a church. That fall, they began holding a regular Bible Study in the Beecher Town Hall on a week night.
The group began meeting on Sundays in 1976. It grew and chartered as a church in that summer. As a body, they chose from the beginning to make God’s Word the primary and only authority for their doctrine and practices, to be dispensational in their interpretation of the scriptures, to be holy and separated in their walk and ministry, evangelistic in nature, and to be Baptist in polity and practice. Their early services were held in the White Chapel at Northland Mission Camp and their first pastor was Dick Miller who worked as a full-time printer at Patz Company in Pound. He began his ministry as pastor the same fall that Northland Baptist Bible Institute opened its doors on the campus.
Property along US Highway 141 in Beecher was secured the following summer (1977). The church also called their first full-time pastor, Merle Amundsen, who was a former mason and bricklayer. The church broke ground and began constructing its present facility in April, 1978. They built the facility with all volunteer labor and moved in that fall. The facility has since grown but the first section, dedicated to God’s glory in 1978, is still used for worship and service today.
Rev. Gene Green came to Faith as pastor in 1979. During his ministry in Pembine, many community families were added to the body of Christ and much over-all growth was experienced. Soon after moving into its new facility, they began a Christian day school. Through the labor and sacrifice of many, hundreds of children from kindergarten through high school were given the privilege of a Bible-based education up until 2007. Faith Baptist School graduated many from our community during those years.
Dr. Dennis Walton was called as pastor in the spring of 1984. Under his leadership, the church grew spiritually and physically. The body completed a major remodeling of its facilities in 1990 including the addition of a new entryway and foyer, additional classrooms, and the enlargement of the auditorium. Dr. Walton labored faithfully and fruitfully for 14 years.
In the summer of 1998, the church was led by to extend a call to Rev. Timothy Collard to become their new pastor. His faithful preaching and teaching blessed and strengthened the church. It was through his leadership and vision that the Faith Community Center was completed by the beginning of the school year in 2004.
In its thirty-first year, 2007, Faith called Rev. Bill Phillips to be their pastor. Pastor Bill served for seven years, building the people of Faith and challenging them to Christlikeness.
In 2014, Faith called two of its members to share in the pastoral ministry. Dan Raught and Mark Massey are providing pastoral leadership and spiritual instruction in the Servant Leadership model of Christ as they serve, preach, counsel, and disciple.
In 2020, Faith called Dan Knepper to assume the pastoral office. He is eager to lead the church, but emphasizes that he is another member of the body and has the privilege to work together with the families at Faith. As a pastor, he is dedicated to Ephesians 4:1-3, 11-13.
By God’s grace, Faith continues to bear fruit for God’s glory and remains committed to the original vision of being a body submitted to the Scriptures, dispensational in its theology, holy in its walk, evangelistic in its ministry, and Baptistic in its ways. We give praise to God who has seen fit to supply abundant grace to the people of Faith through many trials and tests proving Himself faithful and His commitment to His people true. Our prayer is that God will see fit to preserve a people here who will humbly walk in His Spirit and Word until Christ returns. To God alone be the glory.
The group began meeting on Sundays in 1976. It grew and chartered as a church in that summer. As a body, they chose from the beginning to make God’s Word the primary and only authority for their doctrine and practices, to be dispensational in their interpretation of the scriptures, to be holy and separated in their walk and ministry, evangelistic in nature, and to be Baptist in polity and practice. Their early services were held in the White Chapel at Northland Mission Camp and their first pastor was Dick Miller who worked as a full-time printer at Patz Company in Pound. He began his ministry as pastor the same fall that Northland Baptist Bible Institute opened its doors on the campus.
Property along US Highway 141 in Beecher was secured the following summer (1977). The church also called their first full-time pastor, Merle Amundsen, who was a former mason and bricklayer. The church broke ground and began constructing its present facility in April, 1978. They built the facility with all volunteer labor and moved in that fall. The facility has since grown but the first section, dedicated to God’s glory in 1978, is still used for worship and service today.
Rev. Gene Green came to Faith as pastor in 1979. During his ministry in Pembine, many community families were added to the body of Christ and much over-all growth was experienced. Soon after moving into its new facility, they began a Christian day school. Through the labor and sacrifice of many, hundreds of children from kindergarten through high school were given the privilege of a Bible-based education up until 2007. Faith Baptist School graduated many from our community during those years.
Dr. Dennis Walton was called as pastor in the spring of 1984. Under his leadership, the church grew spiritually and physically. The body completed a major remodeling of its facilities in 1990 including the addition of a new entryway and foyer, additional classrooms, and the enlargement of the auditorium. Dr. Walton labored faithfully and fruitfully for 14 years.
In the summer of 1998, the church was led by to extend a call to Rev. Timothy Collard to become their new pastor. His faithful preaching and teaching blessed and strengthened the church. It was through his leadership and vision that the Faith Community Center was completed by the beginning of the school year in 2004.
In its thirty-first year, 2007, Faith called Rev. Bill Phillips to be their pastor. Pastor Bill served for seven years, building the people of Faith and challenging them to Christlikeness.
In 2014, Faith called two of its members to share in the pastoral ministry. Dan Raught and Mark Massey are providing pastoral leadership and spiritual instruction in the Servant Leadership model of Christ as they serve, preach, counsel, and disciple.
In 2020, Faith called Dan Knepper to assume the pastoral office. He is eager to lead the church, but emphasizes that he is another member of the body and has the privilege to work together with the families at Faith. As a pastor, he is dedicated to Ephesians 4:1-3, 11-13.
By God’s grace, Faith continues to bear fruit for God’s glory and remains committed to the original vision of being a body submitted to the Scriptures, dispensational in its theology, holy in its walk, evangelistic in its ministry, and Baptistic in its ways. We give praise to God who has seen fit to supply abundant grace to the people of Faith through many trials and tests proving Himself faithful and His commitment to His people true. Our prayer is that God will see fit to preserve a people here who will humbly walk in His Spirit and Word until Christ returns. To God alone be the glory.
