A Memorial Service for 70-year old Joe C. Pennington, of Harlan, will held on Monday, December 28, at 1:00 p.m. at Fresh Encounter in Harlan.
Joe Pennington, son of Lois and Jo Pennington, was born on July 06, 1950 in Fort Worth, Texas. He graduated and attended PolyTechnic high school in Fort Worth before joining the United States Navy and serving during the Vietnam War for 12 years.
In 1968, Joe was united in marriage to Joy Gibson. Joe and Joy had 3 children, Brian, Jason, and Kristina during their time together. During this time Joe left the military and attended the Whites Ferry Road School of Preaching in Monroe, Louisiana. Joe and his family traveled all over the states with stops in Illinois, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. Joe served in several capacities from preaching to being a youth minister.
Joe met and married Deborah on July 19, 1998. Joe is a stepdad to Nick, Alex, and Jake Hooge. Joe and Debbie lived in Louisiana for a few years before moving up to Harlan, Iowa and introducing the area to Joe’s On the Square, famous for Cajun food. The restaurant was a success, but Joe wanted to pursue his passion for ministry.
Joe worked with some like minded people organizing a group of believers in a coffee shop on the square in Harlan. Over the years, this has grown into what is now called the Fresh Encounter Church. The church has a belief of “come as you are and leave changed”. This belief drives the ministry and outreach efforts for those that come in attendance.
Joe’s fervent dream was to be able to bring the Lord’s word to people with no judgment. Joe felt strongly about teaching his church family how to grow closer to God and loved opening people’s eyes to the beauty of the Bible. Working with the leadership group, this has become a reality at Fresh Encounter Church.
Joe is survived by his wife of 22 years, Debbie Pennington, sons Brian, Jason, Nick, Alex, Jake, and daughter Kristina. Joe is also survived by 11 grandchildren. Joe is preceded by his parents and sister, Jean Grissom.
