About

My Journey of Faith and Ministry

My name is Jeff Benda, and my journey with Christ began in 1976 during my freshman year of college. By God’s grace, that decision set the course for my life. For the past five decades, I have had the privilege of following Jesus through seasons of ministry, business, change, challenge, and unexpected opportunities—each one teaching me more about His faithfulness.

After college, I joined the staff of CRU before moving into local church ministry as the youth pastor at Peace Community Church in the Chicago area. It was during those early years that God deepened my desire to understand His Word and equip others to follow Christ. That led me to Dallas Theological Seminary, where I earned a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies.

Dallas was also where I met one of God’s greatest gifts in my life—my wife, Donna. For 38 years, Donna has been far more than my wife; she has been my faithful partner in life and ministry. Together, we have also been blessed with two wonderful children.

After seminary, God led me in a direction I had not expected: into the business world. For ten years, I had the opportunity to test and live out my faith in the everyday realities of corporate life. That season gave me a deeper appreciation for what it means to follow Christ not only in the church, but in every area of life.

Eventually, Donna and I sensed God leading us to Little Rock, Arkansas, where I joined the staff of Fellowship Bible Church. Over the next 14 years, I had the privilege of serving in a variety of ministry roles and watching God work in the lives of countless people. During the final five of those years, I also completed a Doctorate of Ministry in Discipleship at Talbot School of Theology.

In March 2013, I joined the team at Crossroads Community Church as Grow Pastor. My passion there was to help develop a comprehensive pathway of discipleship—helping people move beyond simply attending church toward becoming what I called “whole-life disciples of Jesus.”

God continued to lead us in ways we could not have planned. After our time at Crossroads, Donna and I served for a season with Pinelake Church in Mississippi and Uniontown Bible Church in Maryland. Then came an unexpected call that brought us back to Arkansas, where I had the privilege of serving as one of the Teaching Pastors at Lake Valley Community Church.

I have now retired from my pastoral role at Lake Valley, but retirement has not brought an end to my calling to follow Christ. If anything, it has opened the door to a new season.

As I look back over the years, I am deeply grateful for the people, churches, opportunities, and unexpected turns that have shaped my journey. Through every season, God has been faithful.

And as I look ahead, my desire remains the same as it was when I first trusted Christ as a college freshman in 1976: to keep growing, keep following, and keep becoming more like Jesus.

Because while one chapter of ministry may have come to a close, the greatest calling of my life has not changed.

I am, and always will be, a disciple of Jesus who needs to “be the message.”