Have you heard? As of July 1st, Pequea Valley's own Jesse Bills will become the pastor of Pequea Church! Jesse, the congregation, and current pastor Don could not be more excited for this transition and the culmination of a year of God's handiwork in our midst. Get to know Jesse below and do not be afraid to connect with him as this new journey begins!
Jesse Bills
Contact Information:
Call or text: 717-715-6892
Email: jesse.bills@evangelical.edu
Brief Bio
Jesse becomes the pastor of Pequea Church in July of 2021, but his part in the story of what God is doing within this church body begins long before. Jesse grew up and has spent all of his life just five minutes away from the church building on the Welsh Moutain and was a 2009 graduate of Pequea Valley. Jesse was blessed to grow up in a Christian home that featured a mother and father who taught Sunday School and a sister and now brother-in-law who taught led their home church’s Vacation Bible School. The Bills family’s home church was on the other side of the Welsh Mountain at Bridgeville EC Church in Narvon.
In the fall of 2018, Jesse enrolled at Evangelical Seminary in Myerstown and continues to pursue his Masters of Divinity Degree. He worked for almost five years as a car salesman at Rocky Ridge Auto Sales in Ephrata, where his calling into pastoral ministry began. In addition to serving Pequea Church as our lead pastor Jesse also serves our sister church Grace Community Church in Willow Street as their Discipleship pastor.
My testimony
Bridgeville Church in Narvon is where I first gave my life to Jesus Christ when I was seven years old at Vacation Bible School, but it was not until I was in my early twenty’s that I began to grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ. God began to get a hold of my life as I worked as a used car salesman at Rocky Ridge Auto Sales in Ephrata through a relationship with a co-worker named Travis, who showed me that there was more to faith in Jesus Christ than getting into Heaven.
Over the next few years, I began to be drawn closer to Jesus Christ as I developed a love for the “fire hydrant” that is God’s Word. As I (a customarily reserved person) began to grow in my relationship with Christ, a previously unseen side of my personality was brought to light as my passion for God’s Word birthed a calling to share God’s Word with those around me.
Over time this passion and desire uncovered a gift and a calling to preach and teach God’s Word and a particular love for the local church. In this season, I explored my gifts and callings and began to hear both internally and externally a call from God to begin to pursue pastoral ministry as my life’s calling.
Then after some “church hurts,” I needed a new home church to worship and serve within, and that is when in the summer of 2017, I was first led to Pequea Church. Pequea offered a place for me to heal from the scars in my church past but also to continue to explore and hone my callings and giftings from God and in the fall of 2018, I enrolled in the Masters of Divinity program at Evangelical Seminary and the pastoral assessment center of the Evangelical Congregational Church.
It has been a LONG journey to get to this moment being installed as the lead pastor of Pequea Church, which had included a significant breakup and many roadblocks in the pursuit of this calling. Still, I am confident today that God has me where He wants me to be.
This includes being the lead pastor at Pequea Church and the discipleship pastor at Grace Community Church in Willow Street, where before July 2021, I served for a year as a pastoral intern.
That is the briefest overview I could muster of the journey that has brought me to this moment. There is much more that could be said, but I will leave that for when we come face to face.
Looking ahead
I am most excited about the future that God already has planned for Pequea Church and the greater Pequea Valley Community. God has been at work in our midst and is growing our church’s connection and impact to our community in the name of Jesus Christ.
I sit here today in a rare position as a pastor that I can honestly say from experience as a "churchgoer" that Pequea Church is a healing community. It is a place where you are not called to be perfect or need to have everything figured out. Instead, it is a place that can help you heal and figure out the one most important thing; an active and living relationship with Jesus Christ.
Wherever you are now, I know from experience that there is no greater joy than knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The desire to share what Jesus Christ has gifted me with the world is what drives my life and ministry.
So consider this your invitation to join us onsite or online as together we seek to know Christ and make Christ known!
Fast Facts
My Favorites
Bible Verse: John 10:10+Acts 5:20
Thing about being a pastor: Sharing God’s Word and building relationships with people that help them know and follow Jesus Christ.
Fast Food: Chick fil a
Local Spot to Eat: White Horse Luncheonette (Specifically the cheesesteaks)
Sport: NASCAR
Driver: Chase Elliott and the now-retired Dale Jr.
Late Night Snack: Ice Cream
Vacation Spot: Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Opening Line when I speak somewhere new: If God can take a used car salesman and transform him into a pastor, he can transform your life as well. :)
Worship Songs: How Great Thou Art, King of Kings, Oh the Cross, Man of Sorrows, Living Hope, and Goodness of God
Random Facts
Thing I am oddly passionate about Car Manufacturers, I am a Chevy guy all the way and own a Silverado and a 50th Anniversary Camaro.
Pastors I listen to in my free time: David Platt, Francis Chan, Tim Valentino, Mike Sigman, and Andy Stanley
In July of 2021, I will participate in my first international missions trip as I accompany a team of 21 to the Dominican Republic from Grace Community Church of Willow Street.
