MEET PASTOR
BEN MARKLEY

Turning Interest into Action

Pastor Ben has been so blessed with parents that loved & served the Lord in an "all out way.". He, his brother & sisters enjoyed sharing in their many endeavors in ministry for many years. They as a family assisted in the starting of two churches in their home town, of Joplin Missouri. Early in Ben's life while his parents continued in these church ministries, teaching youth sunday school, youth ministry Sunday nights, leading singing, etc. His parents got involved in Child Evangelism Fellowship for Jasper County.

His parents Ben & Vivian taught many leaders with the desire to bring children to Christ and just how best to reach them with the Gospel, and then disciple them.

Ben Jr. & his sister Nancy, began to set in on these classes once they convinced their parents that they were desirous of joining in on this mission. At their encouragement Vivian, their mom, started a Good News Club in the front yard of their home.

Bennie & Nancy shared in the club; beginning in leading the songs, games, and sitting among the children, inviting children door to door to their club. Shortly after this experience they both began teaching the missionary story, verse memorization, and ultimately teaching the Bible Lesson, and leading boys & girls to Christ.

Shortly after starting this club, their parents were invited to become involved in opening up churches in the grange halls in the Arkansas mountains. (A close neighboring state with Village Missions)

The Mission began contacting local grange halls requesting holding church services in the closest farming community to the Markley's home. With the blessing & support of their home church they began this endeavor, Bennie & Nancy taught children's S.S., (usually in the beginning 4 or 5 children), Ben Sr. & Vivian taught adult S.S, (also usually beginning with 4 or 5) then Ben & Vivian conducted church service, with Nancy playing violin accompaniment. Bennie lead a few children songs, & memory verse learning during the service. Nancy & Bennie organized a coloring table during preaching service.

In time Ben & Vivian began teaching Child Evangelism teaching classes, on Sunday afternoon, with the plans to have clubs at their school (usually public school had 20-40 children) once the clubs were established at the schools most kids attended. Sunday night church became a combination FFA meeting, in combination with adult Bible study. Once the church attendance reached around 50 people in attendance, Village Missions would begin having the missionary merge into the leadership.

Ben & Vivian and family would move to another Grange service, to start another church plant, over the next five years, Bennie's family started up a total of five churches. When Bennie reached 12 years of age he & sister Nancy went to C.E.F. Summer missions camp and began conducting summer Five Day clubs. The committed to leading 3 clubs a week for the summer weeks. During this experience Bennie surrender to God to serve Him in a full time way wherever God lead him.

After graduating from High school, Bennie went to St. Louis & participating in 5 Day clubs in the inner city housing for a week. He then went to minister at a christian camp for the rest of the summer, as a counselor, maintenance staff, etc. Upon the beginning of the school year Bennie & Nancy went off to Bible College at Prairie Bible College in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada. Nancy worked in the Book Store, and traveling music team ministry while they were both attending college. Bennie taught a youth boys S. S. class & became the President of North America Missions prayer group, while he was in college.

Nancy graduated & Bennie continued on in his college endeavors. While he was in college, he teamed in with two other students to begin a church start-up in a neighboring town on week ends. On the weekends they lived with families who were desirous of starting the church. They together conducted door to door visitation, on Saturday & then youth meetings on Saturday night. Then S.S. & church services Sunday morning. Then they headed back to college. These were such busy, but also blessed times.

Upon graduation Bennie traveled to upstate New York to be a candidate at missionary school to be considered for a representative for Word of Life. The board approved him to become a missionary and to begin raising support for California. He raised enough support to move to California & live with families to begin the ministry. First he began in California, and then upon raising enough support & active churches with clubs to support a married couple, he then move on to Oregon & Washington.

During this endeavor he became the assistant program director at Word of Life Island for a month and then became the director for W. O. L. camp for one week in the summer & one week in the winter in Northern California.

Upon his 5th year with W. O. L. ministries he met his lovely wife Becky. She volunteered to become the volunteer area secretary for Eastern Washington Round Up area. In time they fell in love and they got married. During that same time a church which had a W. O. L. club asked Ben to join their staff as youth pastor. He & soon to become wife Becky joined the staff of Emanuel Baptist Church in Olympia, Wa.

Together they joined the team, while Ben continued his representative position with W.O.L. & during that time Becky completed her final year for her nurses degree at Washington State University. Upon here graduation Becky & Ben continued their ministry in Olympia.

During this time Becky became a cardiology nurse for a local doctor, and during that year she gave birth to their first child. Several years later they moved to Anaheim, Ca. becoming the youth pastor at Central Baptist Church. During that time they directed the Awana Club, Ben also became the chaplain of the christian high school at Central, as well as conducting youth clubs at three surrounding high schools.

During this time Becky had a daughter and shortly after this a church in a small town in central california, Faith Baptist Church in Visalia called them to join their ministry there. Ben & Becky enjoyed 5 years there in Visalia. Towards the end of the fifth year a church in Fresno had their pulpit suddenly vacated. The pulpit committee contacted Faith and requested that Ben & Becky supply the pulpit until they were able to organize and call a pastor. The pastor graciously allowed this consideration to be fulfilled.

The Markley family joined in this endeavor, to stablize the ministry at Valley Baptist Church in Clovis, Ca. Within several months the Valley congregation requested the opportunity to call Ben as their pastor.

Ben has been so blessed with parents that loved & served the Lord in an "all out way.". He, his brother & sisters enjoyed sharing in their many endeavors in ministry for many years. They as a family assisted in the starting of two churches in their home town, of Joplin Mo. Early in Ben's life while his parents continued in these church ministries, teaching youth sunday school, youth ministry Sunday nights, leading singing, etc. His parents got involved in Child Evangelism Fellowship for Jasper County.