User:Jake Starr/Ken pagano

Ken Pagano was born in NJ in 1959 and was raised in the suburban township of Berkeley Heights. Two days after graduating HS in 1977 he enlisted in the USMC and was later awarded two meritorious promotions as honor graduate and top gun in his MOS as Tow Gunner with the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Mar. Div He was a certified EMT for a short while and had a profound conversion experience in 1979 and entered into Christian ministry shortly thereafter. He has served as an assistant pastor in a small, rural, church plant, as well as, a staff pastor for a mega-church in Louisville. Ken was called as pastor to a rural community church where he served for 8 yrs, paying off two mortgages, seeing the church grow to the 200 mark and experienced a season of revival. He later traveled nationally for 6 yrs as an evangelist and is currently the senior pastor of New Bethel Church in Louisville where he accepted the call to ministry in January of 2000. He periodically travels to Eastern Europe to teach at Bible College for two weeks during the summer. He also serves as the assistant senior chaplain with the Louisville Metro Police Department. Ken has an earned Doctorate of Ministry Degree from Covenant Theological Seminary with an emphasis in leadership and preaching. He has attended Boyce College, Campbellsburg University, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.

Ken currently is certified instructor with the Department of Justice for the Commonwealth of Kentucky for Concealed Carry of Deadly Weapons.

Recently New Bethel Church became the epicenter of both national and international interest due to an OPEN CARRY CELEBRATION. This event was held on June 27, 2009 in anticipation of the celebration of the birth of America. People were invited to attend this church sponsored event to help promote responsible gun ownership and fireams safety. The event also hearlded 2nd Amendment rights and the Christian heritage this nation. A strong belief in God and a deep appriciation for fireams is not to be viewsed as incongruous.

Pagano is not ashamed to profess a firm belief in God and guns. Such beliefs are the historic foundation of the U.S. and is reflected in the first two amendments of the Constitution. Pagano does not believe that all Christians nor Christian denominations are pacifists. Christian pacifism in an option not a requirement. He supporter of the St. Gabriel Possneti Society, a group dedicated to promote St. Gabriel Possenti as the Patron Saint of Handgunners. He also works with Rabbi Gary Moskowitz of New York City who founded  Tzedek (Justice) Task Force on Counter Terrorism in 1997 which is a not for profit organization. Pagano also serves as an advisor for the National Security Committee of Clergy.