Meet our Pastor & Leadership Team

Pastor Jon Nelson:

Pastor Jon was born on November 14, 1960, in Sacramento. He was adopted by Ronald and Mamie Nelson and then introduced to Temple Baptist Church as a baby and grew up attending Temple. He accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior when he was 9 years old. They were having a nightly revival and at the end of the service, during the altar call, they had put an image of Jesus up on the wall and sang “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”. He felt the Lord calling him to go forward and give his life to Christ, but refused to move out of fear. He went home and talked it over with his parents, who encouraged him to follow the Lord’s leading. The next Sunday, he walked the isle and accepted Jesus as his Savior. He was very emotional knowing the importance of his decision. At that moment, he wanted to be the best he could be for Jesus. He was baptized and remained active at Temple through Sunday School and the Youth department. At the age 13, the Choir Director allowed him to join the choir.

Pastor Jon met his wife Debbie at Norte Del Rio High School in Sacramento. It was love at first sight. He asked God if He would one day allow him to marry her, he would follow in whatever ministry He would lead him to. God answered his prayer and He followed through with his promise. A year after marrying Debbie, Pastor Jon became the choir director for Temple. He became a Deacon in December of 1995. After the incumbent pastor left Temple in 2007, the church spent a lot of time in prayer as they searched for a new pastor. They had some fill in preachers for a while as Jon took on the role of maintaining the everyday necessities of the church. He felt the Lord calling him into the ministry as a pastor, but he wasn’t completely sure if it was to be at Temple or somewhere else. He was in constant prayer seeking God’s will, not his own, to answer the call into pastoral ministry. After much prayer by Pastor Jon and the church, the church felt led by God to set Pastor Jon aside on a three-month trial. Being led by God, Temple Baptist licensed and later ordained him as their pastor, which he continues to serve.

“I love Temple Baptist church! I personally would like to invite you to come and share a worship experience with us on Sunday mornings. “

Pastor Jon Nelson

“And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose”

Romans 8:28

Sarah Sheppard – Secretary/Worship Team
Shikira Harper – Secretary/Outreach
Yessenia Nelson – Treasurer
Sean Sheppard – Videographer, Mass Communications/Worship Team
Rich Potter – Sunday School Director/Adult Sunday School Teacher
Debbie Nelson – Youth Director
Jessica Nelson – Communications/Youth & Young Adult Leader
Kathy Stokes – Children’s Director
Jennifer Andrews – Children’s Sunday School Teacher
Barbara Baldwin – Outreach team