Kenneth H. Armstrong, originally of Paris, TX, passed away in Moore, OK on August 13, 2020; he was 79 years old. He was born on April 19, 1941, to Elvis and Eula Belle Armstrong of Paris, TX. He married Genice M. Eben on June 30, 1962, and they raised one daughter, two sons, and a foster daughter.
Ken and Genice Armstrong served together in the gospel ministry for 56 years during which time he held pastorates in Texas, Massachusetts, and Kansas. Ken grew up in Paris, TX where he attended Ramseur Baptist Church and graduated from Paris High School in 1959. He accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior and was baptized in 1960 while at the High St. Baptist Church, Springfield, MO. He graduated from Baptist Bible College in 1962 and married Genice M. Eben, also from Paris, TX, in the same year.
After working as an associate pastor in Pasadena, TX and Amarillo, TX, Ken accepted his first pastorate at the Bible Baptist Church in Sunray, TX in 1964. In 1967, Ken became pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Borger, TX. The church reached an attendance of more than 300 during his four years as pastor and maintained an active radio ministry.
In 1971, Ken and Genice left their thriving ministry in Borger and moved with their three children to Brockton, MA where they founded the Temple Baptist Church. They were among the first Baptist Bible Fellowship church planters in New England. In 1975, Ken led the church to move from Brockton to the neighboring town of W. Bridgewater where they built a new building in 1978 on 20 acres of land and where the church remains today under its second pastor, Rev. William Smith. Ken’s family still maintains a close relationship with the church he founded; Temple Baptist is the sending church for his son and daughter-in-law who serve with the Baptist Bible Fellowship.
Ken pastored the Temple Baptist Church for 18 years. During that time, the church reached memberships between 250-300, committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to foreign missions, and helped plant new churches throughout New England. Ken’s passion for church planting led him to form Baptist Church Finance. Joined by two men of Temple Baptist Church and by Rev. Jack Hackworth, pastor of the Granite St. Baptist Church (Salem, NH), Ken organized this church financing fund which raised support from churches and loaned money to new church planters at interest rates significantly lower than bank rates. These new churches repaid Baptist Church Finance and the interest generated from those loans was reinvested in the establishment of new churches. The program proved quite successful in financing twelve churches. When national leaders of the Baptist Bible Fellowship learned of Baptist Church Finance, they sought out Ken’s advice on how to expand the program to the Baptist Bible Fellowship in its entirety. Ken and his partners at Baptist Church Finance gave all the resources that the fund had accrued, over $400,000, to the Baptist Bible Fellowship to be managed by a new arm of the Fellowship named the National Church Planting Organization which was created in response to this program and with the funds given over by Baptist Church Finance. Neither Ken nor any of the board members of Baptist Church Finance remained as managers of the National Church Planting Organization. Preferring to remain outside of the national spotlight, they surrendered all of the fund’s assets, a decision that reflected their genuine concern for the intent of the program and for its viability.
In 1989, Ken and Genice resigned from Temple Baptist Church and returned to their home state of Texas. After a few years of co-pastoring at the Berean Baptist Church of Mesquite, TX, Ken then assumed the pastorate of the West Side Baptist Church in Emporia, KS where he retired after 25 years of service. His tenure at West Side epitomized his essential ministerial principles: sound Biblical preaching, personal evangelism, financial stability, and missionary growth. As was the case in all of his previous pastorates, he left West Side numerically larger, financially stronger, and more invested in foreign missions.
In addition to his pastoral work and his devotion to church planting, Ken also held several positions within the Baptist Bible Fellowship. He was a lecturer at Boston Baptist College, a leader of the fledgling Baptist Bible Fellowship in Massachusetts and New England, a treasurer of the national Baptist Bible Fellowship, and a trustee of Baptist Bible College.
Ken was known as a clear expositor of the Bible with firm convictions on the truth of the gospel and a compassionate heart for those trying to live by it. He maintained a demanding teaching schedule regularly preaching four sermons each week. His wit and humor were a consistent part of his preaching, and he will be remembered for his calm and steady leadership, both in the churches he pastored and in the leadership positions he held in the BBF.
He and Genice have four children, fourteen grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. Their daughter Alicia M. Free, who preceded him in death, and her husband Scott have three children. Their daughter Joni (Coleman) Voelker and her husband Tom have one son. Their son Col (ret) Russell K. Armstrong and his wife Susan have six children and one granddaughter. Their son Rev. Dr. Lyall R. Armstrong and his wife April have four children.
A private burial service was held on Friday, August 21in Norman, OK.
Written by Lyall Armstrong.
God bless the Armstrong family. Bro. Armstrong was always a faithful supporting pastor. We look forward to the Resurrection when we can all be together again. Amen!
We grieve with the family , but rejoice in his entry into heaven.