General Info

Grace Baptist Church Grace Baptist Church began in February of 2002. We are an independent, fundamental, Bible believing Baptist Church. We believe that Jesus Christ is man's only hope for eternal life and a present help in this life. We emphasize the preaching and teaching of Gods Word, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." And for the conversion of the lost. Ephesians 4: 12, Acts 1: 8 and Romans 1: 16 We believe God has preserved His word for us in the King James Bible. Biography: Our pastor, Kenneth Codner was born February 16, 1952, to Kenneth and Mary Codner of Owego, New York. He graduated from Owego Free Academy in 1970 and Alfred Agricultural and Technical College at Alfred, New York in 1973 with an associate's degree in automotive technologies. He was then employed as a mechanic by Tioga County Highway Department. He was raised Roman Catholic, but in his teen years became disenchanted and dropped out of church. His life was in a downward spiral with involvement in most of the evils young men in the mid 60's, early 70's were doing. God, in His mercy brought Kenny into daily contact with a Christian. In October of 1975 through the consistent life witness of Ken Snyder, he trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Frustrated with the fruitlessness of county employment and having a desire to make his life count for God, he sought counsel from his pastor, Russell Lockwood, and in the fall of 1976 enrolled in the Bible program at Tennessee Temple University. He attended there two years. While there, in spite of what the school taught, he realized God had not allowed His Word to remain hidden from the common man in the, originals , but had preserved it for the English speaking people in the King James Bible. God then allowed him to transfer to North Star Bible Institute in Rochester New York. He graduated in 1983 and moved with his young family to northwest Kansas where he pastored Gove Bible Baptist Church for 17 years. While attending Tioga Center Baptist Church, God brought a lovely young woman to Kenny's attention. In 1979 Kenny and Eileen Garrison were married. God has blessed this union with five children, Elizabeth, born in Rochester New York, Sarah, K. Andrew and Benjamin, born in Kansas, and Jesse who was born in Pennsylvania. A year and a half later, at the urging of a group of believers, a Bible study was started which soon became Grace Baptist Church.