South Knollwood Baptist Church

Call him a throwback. Old school. Even traditional.

Pastor Jeremiah Metsinger doesn't mind.

Metsinger, 25, is the new pastor of South Knollwood Baptist Church, 1813 S.W. 29th, a congregation that members say has resisted the trend to turn modern in its worship style.

The congregation feels it has the right fit in Metsinger. He says he puts more stock in helping people apply God's Word to their lives than he does trying to impress folks with being culturally relevant by rattling off references to modern music, television programs, or movies in his messages.

"We want to take the Bible literally," Metsinger says. "He has outlined in the word of God what he wants. We try to live by that."

Metsinger, a married father of two children, came in August to Topeka from Sioux Falls, S.D.

He is the son of a preacher; his father served at the South Knollwood church in the late 1970s and early '80s.

South Knollwood is an independent Baptist church with Sunday morning attendance of about 130.

Metsinger said he won't criticize churches that incorporate contemporary elements in their services, but added he is holding the line on keeping things traditional.

The reason, he says, is that he doesn't want to use entertainment to build a church.

Metsinger said a church can get new instruments and lighting and still come up short of another congregation across town that does it bigger and better.

To illustrate his point, Metsinger said the youth group of the church he served in Sioux Falls grew from about 10 students to 50.

He didn't use Christian rock music or promotions to grow the group, but took the approach of teaching youths how to follow Christ in their lives.

What he got, he said, was 50 teens who were serious about practicing their faith.

"Holiness is not to put a gap between ourselves and our neighbors," Metsinger said. "Separation from the world is not the goal. It's separation to God, so you're different for him."

Metsinger may be one of the few ministers in Topeka who honors the time-tested tradition of knocking on people's doors to visit with them about spiritual things, to pray with them, and invite them to church.

He said he doesn't do door-to-door evangelism to build up his ego, but rather because of the love he and his church have for the city of Topeka.

In many ways, Metsinger may be swimming upstream as he foregoes some of the modern trappings that have become commonplace in many churches.

Yet, he said, he believes God is faithful and that people will find spiritual growth in old-fashioned Bible teaching in South Knollwood's services on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings and Wednesday nights.

"It's exciting to be in the work of the Lord at this time in history," he says. "There's a lot of confusion, and that's what Bible teaching, Bible doctrine, is for -- to clear up the confusion."

Metsinger said he often uses his own story in relating to members of his congregation -- of how he was "saved" in Bible college, even though he was training to be a pastor, and how he has always had to find out things for himself, rather than taking them at face value.

In his sermons, he says, he tries to keep things simple and to the point, remaining humble before the Lord.

Members of the church say they are delighted they found someone so young -- and so committed to maintaining traditional biblical standards -- to lead them.

Joe Jordan, 74, said some of his fellow church members already have made changes in their appearance; not because Metsinger told them to do so, but because they felt convinced by God not to cause others to stumble spiritually.

One man who formerly wore earrings to church now comes with no jewelry. Jordan said the man told him he didn't want to offend anyone as a reason for taking off the earrings.

As far as Jordan is concerned, he hopes Metsinger stays at the church for 50 years.

"Some churches are trying to conform to society," Jordan said. "Well, I believe, and pastor believes, that we should change society."

Phil Anderson can be reached at (785) 295-1195 or phil.anderson@cjonline.com.