Frequently Asked Questions: Pastor Blake Jenkins

So, what do we call you? 

That’s a great question, and one that I have gotten a lot here at the beginning of my start at SVBC. There are a lot of ways to approach this, but my preference is for adults to just call me “Blake.” That’s what I’m most comfortable with. For children and students in our congregation, “Pastor Blake” works great.

What Bible translation do you preach from? Which one is the best?

I preach from the ESV (English Standard Version). I started using this version during my university years and it was what was used all throughout my seminary training. On the “Bible Translation Spectrum,” you have one end that is called the formal equivalence (more word-for-word translation) and the other end that is called the dynamic equivalence (more thought-for-thought translation). The ESV is close to the middle but is a little more towards the formal equivalence end of the spectrum without being too wooden.

That being said, I think that a lot of the English translations of the Bible that we have are tremendous gifts. I personally use about 5 different translations of the Bible each week when preparing sermons that cover the translation spectrum. And while the ESV is the one I read the most and preach from, I have adopted the outlook of one of my former seminary professors. A classmate of mine once asked him which Bible translation was best (we all expected him to say the one that he had actually helped to translate). But all he said was, “The one that you will read.”

What is your family like?

My wife Rebecca (you can call her Becca), grew up in Sumter, SC, just down the road from Columbia. We met during college while working at a Christian summer camp. I was in school at the University of Alabama, and she was at Clemson University (yes – it has been contentious at the beginning of January for many recent years). Before starting our family, Becca was an English teacher at three different private Christian schools in cities where we served churches. One of her current joys is homeschooling our oldest son and preparing to start with our younger son in the coming years. 

I am beyond blessed to be married to someone who has such a deep walk with Jesus. She is at the top of the list of most influential people in my life and her partnership in ministry means the world to me. Becca and I have two boys: Thomas (6) and Will (2). Thomas has just learned to read and Will is almost to the point of talking. Both boys are very energetic and a ton of fun. I’m grateful to be their dad.