Meet Your Church Planters: John Keen
LifePoint Church in Dillon, SC
John Keen is the lead pastor of LifePoint Church in Dillon, SC. When telling the story of how God called him to plant their church, he sounds a bit like the Old Testament prophet Jonah. He and his wife were part of a church plant in Anderson, SC that they enjoyed, but he seemed to have a nagging calling to get back into full-time ministry. They felt like God was calling them to do ministry with another couple in their Home Group, and soon after that a job relocated that couple to Dillon. John says that his response was, “God, I grew up in Florence. I know about Dillon. I am not going.
He learned that those are four dangerous words when dealing with the creator of the universe! God revealed to him that He was calling John to move to Dillon and start LifePoint in rather blunt terms, so soon after they moved and LifePoint held its first service on January 4th, 2009.
Since then, LifePoint has grown to average 90 people each Sunday. 65% of weekly attenders were not in church before coming to LifePoint. God has been faithful in growing His kingdom through the ministry of LifePoint in the midst of growing John as the pastor.
Everything has not been a bed of roses for LifePoint. The church ministers in a community where the unemployment rate is 18%, and where many of the employed find themselves in very low-income jobs. John says that Dillon is community low in spirits, and it’s difficult to get people to believe in anything because they have been let down so much. They are trying to change the mindset and get people to trust in and find true hope in Jesus.
LifePoint has to deal with negative perceptions of church in their culture. John has already learned that the Field of Dreams mentality of “if you build it they will come” is just not true and not the proper mindset to have in ministry, because it’s not about numbers—it’s about relationships. His wife also continues to struggle with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. John covets your prayers for their church and for his family.
When asked to share one specific story of how God has worked through LifePoint, John tells a tear jerking memory that testifies to God’s grace and presence in their church. During a spat of severe back pain, John went to see the local chiropractor, Dr. Matt Cline. As Dr. Cline straightened out his spine, John realized that he was not the only one in pain. Dr. Cline began to tell John, with tears in his eyes, about his newborn son Jacob. Jacob was born with a potentially lethal intestinal disorder and was thought to be deaf. They cried together and prayed for God’s provision and healing for little Jacob. Before leaving, John invited Dr. Cline to a movie night LifePoint was hosting later that week. Dr. Cline and his wife Johnna not only came, but even stayed to help tear down afterward. At the end of the night, John gathered the LifePoint team around Matt and Johnna and told them Jacob’s story. They all cried and gathered around Matt and Johnna to pray for Jacob’s sickness and hearing.
To make a long story short, a few days later John received a phone call with an update on Jacob. Further testing revealed that Jacob was lactose intolerant, but that the doctors did not consider his intestinal condition life-threatening anymore and believed it would improve with age. And not only that, but a few weeks later Jacob began to respond to his mother’s voice!
Now, Jacob is growing and healthy—he talks and his hearing is just fine. He is a witness to God’s grace and healing, and an ever-present reminder for their church. Best of all, through this story Jacob’s mother, Johnna, came to know Jesus! Now Matt and Johnna host a LifeGroup at their home every week.
Our God is gracious, merciful, and faithful—even in the midst of life’s trials and tough times. He is at work in Dillon through LifePoint Church, and we look forward to hearing how His kingdom continues to spread in their community. John is thankful for a group of God chasers in his church that are committed to making a difference in Dillon through sacrificing each week to reach those who are far from God.
When asked what he would say if he had one sentence to proclaim to other Christians in South Carolina, John replied, “It’s all about the Kingdom!” I’m sure that’s something we can all ring an “Amen” to.
Your prayers for LifePoint Church and for John Keen are greatly appreciated.
