Meet the Newmans
We know how hard ministry can be. Long days. Lots of pressing needs. Relational conflict. Add that to struggles in your own marriage, family, health, and finances...it can be overwhelming. Planting and pastoring a church for over 26 years, we’ve been in your shoes.
​
We met in Memphis, Tennessee, where we both served on staff at Bellevue Baptist Church – Johnathan in the singles ministry and Jeni in women’s ministry. Our beloved pastor, Dr. Adrian Rogers, officiated our wedding and Bellevue sent us out to plant.
​
On our one-year wedding anniversary, we moved eight hours north (with our two-month-old!) to start a church in the growing town of Troy, Ohio. With eager hearts, great anticipation, but zero experience in church planting, we jumped in with both feet, ready to get this new church off the ground.​
However, we found church planting to be more difficult than some people made it sound. Things didn’t go as easily as we had dreamed. Growth was slow. Leaders came and went. People had problems we felt unequipped to handle. We were homesick for friends and family.
​
But by God’s good providence, the church grew little by little. Mature leaders came and stayed. We implemented biblical counseling which deepened the work of discipleship in a noteworthy way. We made dear friends. Troy, Ohio, became home and Koinos Church our forever family. By God’s grace, it is now a thriving congregation, led by a team of nine elders, filled with joyful servants, reaching our community and beyond.
​
In 27 years of ministry, we’ve experienced a lot of ups and downs and unexpected turns. And we would not have made it to where we are today without God’s help so often given through sisters and brothers in Christ who offered us encouragement, counsel, and support that was truly life-giving.
​
God doesn’t want you to just survive ministry but to thrive. We want that for you too.​
Johnathan is a certified biblical counselor with ACBC (the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) and has 20+ years of counseling experience. He is also a certified leadership coach with CORPUS Vitae (with Rob Peters) and has coached multiple church planters and pastors including those doing revitalization. He finds great joy in coming alongside other leaders to encourage them. Johnathan is available for coaching, counseling, and training churches in biblical counseling.
​
Jeni taught English and Bible at a Christian school for nine years, then worked in development at a pregnancy center for five years. She has led Bible studies, spoken in chapels, and taught at multiple women’s conferences. Jeni is in the process of completing ACBC training and has a heart to encourage other ladies with the hope found in God's Word. She is available for counseling and speaking.