Daren Penwell is our Lead Pastor. He has been married to Lisa, our Children’s Minister, for 29 years. They had their first real conversation while dancing at a wedding, and it was then that he learned about Lisa's heart for missions and ministry and began to realize that he might just have found the one! Since then, God has led Daren and Lisa through 25 years of full-time ministry and, along the way, to a number of mission experiences around the world. Their proudest accomplishments, however, are their two daughters, Brittany and Madison, and their husbands, Josh Strickler and Kyle Reynen. They all love Jesus and have a heart for ministry and Christ's church.
Besides Daren’s love for his family and the church, he also has several other loves: Notre Dame football (Go, Irish!), lifting weights and....flowers! He loves the Notre Dame campus in October during football season, and loves a beautifully landscaped lawn in the summer, bursting with color. He also enjoys reading theology books…oh, and walks on the beach!
When asked what his dream is for BCC, Daren answered, “One thing I love is to dream and to envision what is possible if only God will show up. I believe the best days of BCC aren't in our past. They are yet to come! Church specialists will tell you that most churches reach their peak about 25 years out. From that point on churches often peak and simply seek to maintain status quo. However, I believe that Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28; Acts 1:8) for His church isn't just to maintain or stay the course. It is to forge ahead into new and unreached (or under reached) areas. I get so excited about the thought of God using us to raise up more missionaries and preachers and leaders for the church and world!”