Meet Luke Knickerbocker of Temple Terrace

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke Knickerbocker.

Hi Luke, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Five years ago, my family and I returned from serving as foreign missionaries in Nepal, Asia. I have always been fascinated with learning languages and learning about other cultures. My passion has been to learn how to communicate the life-changing message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have never heard, especially in far-away lands!

My journey began as a teenager, when I personally entered a relationship with Jesus Christ through understanding what the Bible said in regard to eternal life. I was brought up in a pastor’s home, but I did not have peace in my heart about where I would spend eternity. I was considered to be a good kid, but I knew the truth: I was a sinner, guilty of breaking God’s moral law. I did not measure up to God’s standard of perfection and therefore deserved to be punished in the lake of fire. This thought terrified me. As I read the Holy Bible, I came to understand that God still loved me even though I had sinned against Him. I realized that Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, came to pay my sin debt through his death on the cross. He rose again guaranteeing me eternal life if I would simply turn from my self-dependence and rely on him fully.

Jesus Christ changed my life and gave me a desire to share this truth with others. After attending Bible college, I married my wife Jamie in 2006. We had the privilege of serving in the pastorate at a Baptist church in HIghlands County, Florida for over four years. During that time, God opened our hearts to the prospect of transitioning to a ministry overseas. We attended Baptist Bible Translator’s Institute in Bowie, Texas for nine months before taking the next steps of moving overseas to Kathmandu, Nepal.

During our time of nearly seven years in Asia, we were privileged to hold Bible studies in our house, as well as other places including a Buddhist monastery! It was a great joy for my wife and I to teach in a Bible College equipping national men and women to serve in their churches. I started a website called www.pilgrimoftruth.com to help provide resources for those who are interested in learning about Bible Christianity and grow in their own faith. I still continue this today.

When our family returned to the Tampa area at the end of 2020, my wife and I helped start a Christian school. While teaching there for three years, I became increasingly burdened for the many foreigners who had come to America but still have not had the privilege of knowing the truth of God’s Word and the peace that Jesus Christ offers. As I prayed about the areas in the USA that had many refugees and immigrants, I was put in touch with the Fowler Avenue Baptist Church in Temple Terrace, Florida.

Their pastor, Theron Chewning and his wife Elaine, had faithfully served this church for 62 years, and knew it was time to pass on the mantle of leadership to the next generation. We started attending the services and agreed to start serving there for a while before the church voted for me to be their next pastor in February, 2025. Our hearts were knit as we share a vision for the same mission: to glorify God and reach our world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, for several years, the Fowler Avenue Baptist Church has hosted hundreds of national pastors from around the world in conjunction with HELP Ministries. My dad, who is the regional director of HELP ministries is the one who connected our family with Fowler Avenue Baptist Church!

We are excited about the future and what God desires for us now. We have seen growth spiritually and numerically. Our theme this past year was “Being Planted in God’s Word”. As we look to take the next step forward in 2026, we will be emphasizing “Living by Faith”. We welcome each person that comes, whether it is for one service while traveling through, or seeking a permanent church home. We still use the King James Bible and sing Christ-honoring Hymns. We have Sunday School for all ages at 10am and morning worship at 11 am every Sunday and midweek services on Wednesday at 11 am and 7 pm. We welcome our community to come connect and let us know how we can serve you. Our services are available to watch on our YouTube channel Fowler Avenue Baptist Church or check out our website fabcfl.org.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We have dealt with many challenges and changes in our own personal lives and ministry. But with each trial, we have had our faith strengthened as God has demonstrated his presence and power. As we struggled to figure out how to live and minister in Nepal, it taught us the importance of being patient in learning to understand others who are different in their language, culture, and religion. Learning to navigate life and speak another language is challenging, but it has helped us to be more understanding of those who have come to Hillsborough County from so many other countries.

In 2015, our family was in Nepal as we experienced a massive earthquake that killed nearly 10,000 people. Being with the people through that ordeal knit our hearts with our fellow believers and neighbors. I realize that even though life can be hard, God is always good and will inevitably bring good out of the bad circumstances.

Since being with our new church family in Temple Terrace, we have unfortunately had several funerals in the past year. One was of a Haitian man whom we met outside a cancer treatment center next to our church building. Our lawn mower had broken down, and we were going to push it out of the way, when we met Jean Marc outside the cancer center. He spoke French Creole, and we happened to have a Haitian pastor with us at the time. They spoke and Jean Marc started attending our services. Soon afterward, he trusted in Jesus Christ to be his Savior! Less than six months later, he passed away. But it was wonderful to know that God had used all these obstacles to bring him across our path that we might help him know how to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I love the fact that my job of a pastor allows me to be with people, especially in their most difficult times. It is a privilege to offer the hope of God’s Word as I preach from the pulpit or while doing a Bible study in someone’s home or visiting a member in the hospital.

But it is even more thrilling to be able to do this with my wife Jamie by my side and my five children. I am also blessed to have a wonderful associate in the work of the ministry, Steve Chewning. We do virtually everything together and we help one another to be the best servants possible.

My passion is getting the Gospel to those may have never heard of Christ. I love writing books, gospel literature, and Bible studies to help those who are interested in knowing the truth that will set them free. I have written a Bible study with a chronological approach from Creation to Christ that helps connect the dots of the most important Bible stories to show why Jesus came to earth from Heaven. I also am trying to get the Gospel recorded into many other languages as you may see on my website www.pilgrimoftruth.com

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
(If this article is printed before January 25, 2025)

I would love to invite everyone for our special Homecoming Service on January 25, 2026! It begins at 10:30 am and lunch will be served afterward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fabcfl.org
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fowleravenuebaptistchurch4825
• Other: https://www.pilgrimoftruth.com/