Meet Our Pastor

Pastor and First Lady Venable

Pastor Venable was born in Baltimore Maryland and grew up in the town of Aberdeen, Maryland. He graduated from the Aberdeen, Md. Sr. High School, Morgan State University Baltimore, Md. with a B.A. in Political Science and is a 2010 Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University with a focus on Pastoral Counseling and Church Administration. He was ordained a Deacon in 1983 at the Gillfield Baptist Church in Petersburg, Virginia by Rev. Dr. Grady Powell. He was licensed and ordained as an Associate Minister at the First Baptist Church-Centralia, Virginia by Rev. Dr. Wilson Shannon. He has taken additional training in Congregational Care at the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia and The Center for Congregational Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

He worked for years in banking and information technology as a consultant. After graduation from the School of Theology at Virginia Union University in 2010 he was called to Pastor the Robious Hall Mission Campus of the Bon Air Baptist in Bon Air, Virginia fulfilling his desire to minister to youth, families and those seeking physical, emotional, and spiritual support.

The desire for Congregational Care resulted in Pastor Venable accepting the call to minister at the historic New Elam Baptist Church in New Kent Virginia in January 2018. Founded and organized in 1867 New Elam is a congregation rich in history and focused on present and future needs of the people and community.

Les and his wife Donna parent four adult children and enjoy outdoor recreation and being with each other. They invite you to come and enjoy the friendship and hospitality of the New Elam Baptist Church family.

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