Little Did He Realize

By Jeff Alverson

In 1956 John Brown Finished Tenn. Temple Bible school in Chattanooga Tennessee. That same year he moved his family to San Diego to pastor a small church in the Chulas View Suburb. Pastor Brown had a desire to reach the Chulas area, but also had a burden for the military and families in the San Diego area.

Due to his outreach he came in contact with a young sailor named James Kennard who had just recently come to Christ. Immediately he saw that Jim was a new Christian with a spiritual need. Pastor Brown spent much time with him and discipled him in things of the Lord, giving him opportunities for service. He taught Jim the value of the local N.T. Church in the life of a believer. It was from Pastor Brown that this young sailor learned to be faithful and to follow the Lord.

Later Brother Brown introduced Jim to Tenn. Temple Schools where he learned the great doctrines of the Bible and graduated in 1961. While in Bible School Jim met and married a beautiful young lady named Clara Gail Hughes, who has been a faithful companion for forty-five years. After graduation they were approved for missionary service with Baptist International Mission Inc. (B.I.M.I) and served 17 years as missionaries in Japan. While working there they started a national church for Japanese speaking people, but had a burden on their hearts for the military and their families stationed on the Island. In the latter years of the 1960’s during the height of the Vietnam War some 100,000 American military troops were serving our country in that area. There was no Independent Baptist Church in Okinawa, so one day some men interested in getting a good Church started approached Brother Kennard about starting one. Some time later the Kennard’s came home on furlough. The need to start an independent baptist church was presented and Brother Bob Elzey and his family responded to the call, moved his family to Okinawa and organized a Baptist church in the living room of Brother Jim Kennard’s house. This was the first military church started by a BIMI Missionary and has been an example to follow for other church near military bases around the entire world.

A few yeas later Brother Bob Elzey returned to the States to become the European Director and the church called Jim Kennard to be their Pastor. Brother Kennard’s last years on Okinawa were spent as the pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church. Because of his burden for the military ministry the mission asked him in 1980 to be the director for military missions and repeat what had been done in Okinawa wherever our military personnel were stationed in other parts of the world. We have seen many military churches started in a number of countries and Dr. Kennard now has 91 military missionaries working with him in this ministry. Literally thousands have been saved and hundreds called into the ministry through the efforts of these churches. Little did Pastor John T. Brown realize that all this would happen when he took this young sailor under his care and discipled him in the things of God.

Dr. Kennard’s note: John and Imogene Brown meant so much to me and their home-going made me stop and think where I would be today if they had not been there for me. I will be eternally grateful for what they did for me. They were like my own family. I was asked by the family to help preach the funeral of Imogene in October 2004 and then Brother Brown in February 2005. They are in heaven now but their ministry goes on because they took time and invested in this young struggling sailor. I was not the only one. They did this for others as well.