Jim & Jennifer Franklin

Jim pastors Grace Community Bible Church, a church plant in Redding, CA.

Both Jim and Jennifer were raised in Christian homes where their parents led each of them to accept Christ as their Savior at a very early age. Jim particularly appreciates the spiritual influence his father had on his life while he was growing up.  As a result of that, Jim always had an awareness of God working in his life, even with his own struggles against sin.  Jim’s dad also directed Jim to a Christian college as preparation for life.  During Jim’s first year at Shasta Bible College in Redding, God burdened him to prepare for full-time ministry, something Jim had only considered before college.  Returning to Shasta Bible College for his second year, he met Jennifer, and they were married the following summer.

After completing his B.A. in Bible and Theology, Jim continued his preparation for the ministry by starting his M.Div. at The Master’s Seminary. Over the next three years, providing for his growing family meant that progress at seminary slowed.  It was during this time, though, that Jim met Brian Shealy and, under his mentorship, followed him to Cornerstone Seminary.  An internship at a Merced church and opportunities to teach Beginning Greek at Cornerstone allowed him to grow as a teacher and to exercise his desire to minister to God’s people.

While at Cornerstone, Jim met Scott Menez and began working with Scott at the Proberta church.  Together, Jim and Scott were part of Cornerstone Seminary’s first graduating class.  When Scott transitioned the Proberta church to Cottonwood, Jim came along as one of the elders, working in construction as he had been doing in the past to support his family.  Scott’s mentoring during this time was an encouragement to Jim and a confirmation that pastoring a church was where God wanted Jim and Jennifer.  A missions trip to a small seminary in the Philippines, where Jim taught a two week Beginning Greek class, was a thrilling confirmation of his desire to be in full time ministry.

Jim and Scott’s original plan was for Jim to move on to another ministry after the Cottonwood church plant got on its feet and Jim had benefited from seeing a successful church start from the inside.  However, God rearranged that plan in a significant way in the first half of 2009.  It was Scott who moved on instead of Jim!  Jim stepped into Scott’s role as teaching pastor when Scott moved on to Grace Bible Church in Hollister in June.  God blessed the pastoral transition.  Only a couple of families wandered off, but God has brought other new families to the church.  Attendance now typically ranges from 70 to 100 each Sunday morning, and the ministry is continuing strong.  In the spring of 2010, the Cottonwood church relocated to Redding to have expanded ministry opportunities there.

Jim and Jennifer have six children ranging in ages from 9 yrs to 6 months, including twin boys who are almost 4 years old.