Dekalb, MS
Rontal L. Jenkins was born in Scooba, Mississippi to Robert and Ruth Jenkins on November 1, 1974. His parents divorced in 1977. He and his mother relocated to Rock Island, Illinois. He graduated from Rock Island High School in 1992. He attended Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi from 1992-1996. He majored in Criminal Justice Pre-Law.
After leaving college due to financial hardship, he became a licensed insurance agent with Union National Life Insurance Company from 1998-2002. In November of 2002, he was hired on with Mutual Savings Life Insurance Company. After being an agent there for one year, he was promoted to Sales Manager. He remained in management until the company was bought out by Kemper Insurance. After the buy-out he was offered an agency with the company.
In March of 2013, Brother Jenkins accepted a job with the County at Kemper Regional Correctional Facility as a work crew supervisor. Brother Jenkins accepted the job to be closer to home and to have more time for ministry, school board duties and community involvement. He remained with the county until the Lord moved him to full-time ministry and school board.
On January 12, 2003, he married his high school sweetheart Dawn Jones. They have two daughters LaRonda and Kaylyn. They also have four grandchildren Kylea, Elijah, Eric and Emiyah.
In January 2003, he and his wife joined a local Baptist Church. He was ordained a Baptist deacon in June of 2004 and his wife was over the music ministry. He also served as assistant superintendent of Sunday School. During this time the church experienced growth but Bro Jenkins began to feel that there was something more. He and his wife attended a T.D. Jakes Mega Fest Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2006. He left that conference forever changed knowing that there was something more than tradition. It started him on a search for truth. He started to remember where he felt like that before. It was a service at Abundant Life Tabernacle in Meridian, Mississippi. One of his co-workers Lefonzo Pollock had invited him to a couple of services and he remembered feeling like that in one of those services. The Lord continued to work on Brother Jenkins and finally he got a revelation of Jesus name. Once he got the revelation of Jesus’ Name, he knew that he needed to be baptized in Jesus’ Name. He knew that his current pastor would not baptize in Jesus’ Name because they only baptized in the titles. Because Jesus had given him the revelation of Jesus Name baptism, he knew that he was responsible for being obedient to it. In June of 2009, Bro Jenkins was baptized in that wonderful name of Jesus by Pastor A.M. Mansfield at Abundant Life Tabernacle in Meridian, Mississippi He received the Gift of the Holy Ghost later that night while praying and searching scripture in his own home.
Bro Jenkins continued to attend the local Baptist church because he felt that the people wanted more from God and he could help them. After staying there for the next six months, Brother Jenkins soon realized that they did not want what he had. He knew then that it was time for him to move. Brother Jenkins and his family joined Free Gospel Temple in Meridian, under the leadership of David D. Loyd in February 2010. The Lord had spoken to Brother Jenkins that Brother Loyd was his pastor while attending a Sectional Men’s Conference at his church even though he did not fully understand it at the time. While at Free Gospel Temple, God began to do a quick work in Brother Jenkins life. He began doing outreach at two local nursing homes. During that time, they saw many miracles, lives transformed, and people given hope. Brother Jenkins would also minister during street services and witnessed powerful moves of God. Brother Jenkins also taught adult Sunday school class twice a month and a combined youth class once a month. He was also over the youth of the church. He was responsible for organizing youth events, carrying them to youth rallies and events.
In January of 2015, Brother Jenkins answered the called to plant a church in DeKalb, Mississippi, his home area. Brother Jenkins had previously unsuccessfully tried to get into DeKalb, but it was not the Lord’s timing. One Sunday while Brother Jenkins was leading worship, Brother George and Sister Winnie McAdams had come to Free Gospel Temple looking for someone to pastor a small group of people in a bible study in DeKalb, Bro George went home and asked his wife does she think that we would be interested in coming to DeKaIb because Brother Jenkins looks like the guy in his dream that the Lord had told Brother McAdams would pastor the church. Brother McAdams had no idea that Sister McAdams met Sister Jenkins at a Ladies Conference and knew that they lived near DeKaIb.
In May of 2015, Lighthouse Apostolic UPC was launched as a NAM work. During his first year as pastor, Lighthouse Apostolic averaged over 30 in attendance and saw many great moves of God. A Sunday School department began with three youth classes and one adult class with an average attendance of 20. In the first four years over thirty souls were baptized in Jesus name and over 20 received the Gift of the Holy Ghost!!!
In March of 2018, Brother Jenkins was appointed Presbyter At Large by the Mississippi District UPCI Board to represent the African American Ministry within the District. He was also tasked to help get ten African American ministers licensed as part of the Strategic Growth Initiative for the MS District.
Brother Jenkins was also elected to the Kemper County School Board in January 2011. He was voted President of the Board in 2014 and currently serves as President in 2020. Brother Jenkins is a graduate of Leadership Kemper in 2012. He is on the Council of Governments for Kemper County. Brother Jenkins was appointed to the Development Foundation of East Mississippi Community College in June 2017.