STAFF BIOS
Bio
West Kenyon
Founder and Senior Pastor
West Kenyon, founder and Senior Pastor of Four Peaks Christian Church and founder of Face Your Faith.com, has been an entrepreneur and award-winning veteran of corporate America. Simultaneously over the last two decades, West was challenged and blessed with the opportunity to perform God-informed community service with the Phoenix Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center. This important ministry tugged at his heart and soul and wouldn’t let go when West was called to serve as a Biblical counselor and
teacher for nearly 12,000 men and women for more than 17 years.
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Pastor West says, “Most of the individuals entering the Salvation Army are not hungering to know Christ or grow an already established relationship with Him. The ministry has been incredible to watch as several men have entered the program vehemently opposed to anything relating to God, and several months later asking to sit together and do weekly one-on-one Bible studies.” Their new passion for the Lord is so palpable and always reignites the passion that is so easily lost in mature believers. Seeing people go from worshiping Satan, covered in demonic tattoos to exclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior is indescribable.
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All the while when serving Salvation Army’s ministry, West was still filling his own cup in continuing his Biblical education through numerous symposiums, and classes that focused on teaching the Word of God, taking a deep dive in the history of the Bible and world religion plus leading other missions. But Pastor West’s thirst for Biblical knowledge and understanding started much earlier. From his late teens, West desired a closer engagement with God, which brought him very close to several pastors he would listen to every day, and studying messages delivered by the likes of Charles Spurgeon and Martin Luther. West’s home church in Washington, D.C. also had a profound impact in his spiritual growth through the many seminary style classes covering all aspects of the Bible. Each of these experiences drove West to seek God in more ways and ultimately drove him to proclaiming God's Word online. Whether Salvation Army, other ministries or everyday face to face interactions, Pastor West is regularly encouraged to see and remember the awesomeness and faithfulness of God’s unfailing love.
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What lead you to starting FPCC?
While trying to balance demanding corporate work and increasingly fulfilling ministries, God has refused to leave me in peace. Incredibly, He has allowed Face Your Faith to grow exponentially in its first year of being online. Today FaceYourFaith.com has attracted over 250,000 visitors resulting in over 5000 studies being downloaded, and over 2400 clicks per week on our social media channels. These results were truly nothing I could have imagined, and it was certainly an eye-opening experience to fully realize and finally fully accept, that God was indeed the one applying the pressure to serve others for Him in even greater ways.
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Through the many experiences God has handed me throughout my life, both personally and professionally and my every growing passion to teach God's Word, God once again applied the pressure to listen to the call and follow through on embarking on yet another journey of a lifetime, and this time devoting my time fully to ministry, and hence Four Peaks.
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My only desire and goal is to always teach God’s Word, passionately, boldly, unashamedly, and directly, and all while leaving no room for uncertainty or question of the Truth. To the best of my ability, my sincere hope and prayer is that I will live up to all that God has in store for me at Four Peaks Christian Church and serve everyone very honorably in His name.
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Through many discussions and much prayer, I believe everyone involved along the way has developed a church model which considers how Four Peaks Christian Church, can truly serve the Lord in a very unique way
throughout our community and the world. Our mission is to lead by modeling authentic Christ centered, Bible centered worship, that is focused on continuous growth in our Lord and Savior through music and the spoken Word. Through all of this, it is my passion to Encourage, Challenge and Equip those who are hungry to either find Christ or profoundly grow an already existing relationship with Him."
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Early Career Achievements
Earlier in my career and while walking my path with the Lord, I was fortunate to build and operate numerous businesses in various industries, both nationally and internationally, including an award-winning graphic design agency. As a native Washingtonian, as in District of Columbia., I was also politically active for many years, and held an elected political position. I earned my education n Fine Art & Photography from the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Our agency work is the recipient of several photographic awards, including recognition from the Photographic Society of America, in addition to our work being published internationally. Also, I’ve taught and written curriculum for the study of graphic design at the college level.
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Personal Background
Experiencing multiple traumatic moments in life, especially as a child, is often very difficult, if not debilitating, but even in these unimaginable times, God can and will do, if we allow it, everything that seems impossible in our lives, and that is exactly what God has done for me. Having grown up in a home that was fraught with disfunction, and molested at age six by a neighbor, made for an exceptionally challenging childhood to say the least. God kept the pressure on and allowed still more opportunities to grow and mold me into who I am today. I witnessed American Airlines flight 77 fly into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 which was followed by the discovery of a brain tumor and subsequent brain surgery in 2005.
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Today however, the anguish, anger and resentment I held against God, family and other people is long gone. Today it is clear that God used all of this to bring a very angry stubborn person into an incomprehensible relationship with Him. These events and circumstances paved the way to truly forgive, and use everything God has, is and will allow in my life for nothing but good and that of serving others from what I have learned and experienced, and all in His name.
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What Does Your Personal Time Look Like
I have been abundantly blessed with an amazing, loving and very patient wife who is in the medical sciences field, and two amazing children. My daughter is finishing up her undergrad and will soon be off to veterinary school, and my son is in a dual enrollment program earning his high school diploma in addition to an Associate Degree.
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With regard to things I enjoy in my pastime, that would be cooking, travel, and working on/driving our collector cars and a good workout at the gym! I also love listening to online sermons from several of my favorite pastors while engaging in my various hobbies. Not only do I find this a great way to chill out, but it's a great way to be ministered to and a fantastic time to learn more about God and gain further inspiration, and there is defiantly no better workout routine!
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Bio
Joe Conner
Director of Administration
Joe Conner, currently serves his home state of Arizona as an executive officer in the Headquarters Company of the 1st Battalion of the 158th Infantry Regiment in the Arizona National Guard. He also holds the prestigious title of U.S. Army Ranger. On the civilian side, Joe earned his degree from Arizona State University, in Civil Engineering, and currently serves as a nuclear engineer at Palo Verde Generating Station, the largest nuclear power plant in the United States.
Personal background
Shaped through a multitude of unique, rigorous experiences and training throughout his career and his life, Joe says “I have experienced a lot for my age, and from this I can say with certainty that there is nothing in life that brings more fulfillment than my salvation and subsequent relationship with Jesus Christ.” Joe further expressed his passion to be on the path of constant growth in his relationship with the Lord, and hopes through this passion and understanding, God will use him to inspire others to seek God.
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What lead you to get involved with FPCC?
“Unfortunately the church I grew up in did not challenge me to seek the most important thing in life and that was a relationship with Jesus Christ. In essence, I feel my home church failed me in this area and for no other reason than they appeared to be more focused on the historical content of the Bible rather than teaching how to apply the Word, and the path of what a true relationship in Christ looked like.
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In addition, I sensed the church was far more focused on appearance and being attractive rather than remaining grounded and focused on the true mission of the church—God focused, Christ centered worship that truly builds the body of believers.
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As a result, I lived my life in constant fear, anger and rebellion against God. I desperately sought after everything outside of God.
I put my identity in relationships, popularity, being a soldier and a Ranger, and above all else, fooling others as to who I really was. On the surface, I appeared to be the ideal, upstanding, Christian, American man that everyone would aspire to be. Yet under the surface, I loved stealing. I loved lying. I took great pleasure in how I could use my intelligence to manipulate and control others.
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“Seek and you will find.” I sought to become a Ranger. It was my final hope for becoming exactly who I needed to be. I sought and I found, but I did not find what I intended. I put everything on the line, to once and for all prove I was in control, but God intervened and let me free fall to the lowest point in my life at which point I came to terms with how fraudulently I had lived my life and how much I needed to give up trying to make myself the man I desperately desired to be. It was at this low point however that I came to my senses and knew I needed to give up, and asked God to become Lord of my life. I still desire to put everything on the line and do whatever it takes, but this time around I'm putting it all on the line for Him.
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It was all of this that led me to seeking a new direction and a passion for wanting more out of worship than I was able to find in the Valley. I strongly believe God has led me to this point and that of being a part of starting a place of worship that is solely focused on the bold basics of Christ centered teaching and music; in addition to creating a place for other like minded believers where they too can grow their relationship in a no “fluff” God focused environment.
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What does your personal time look like?
“Full send is the motto I live my life by.” When I am not working at the nuclear facility or with the military, I enjoy staying physically active. Be it going to the gym, or carrying an overly heavy pack for 30 miles in the wilderness. Additionally, I love traveling the world and indulging in all of the nations various cuisines and cultures. When not traveling, I enjoy cooking, shooting, and blacksmithing to name a few. In due time, and should God see fit I hope to get married and raise a family in the not to distant future. Until then, God has me where I need to be to grow, mature, and serve Him.