What is your name, where are you from, and can you tell us about your family?
My name is Kendall Hayden, but most people know me as Ken. I am from Skowhegan, Maine and lived in Maine with my wife and kids until the fall of 2011 when we moved to western New York. My wife is also an alumnus of the BI and we have three children: Our oldest, Kyle, is an alumnus as is his wife, Bree; Kirk, our middle child, will be attending the BI this fall; and our youngest, Kayli, is a sophomore in high school and is very active in school and sports.
Tell us a little bit about your salvation experience.
I was saved when I was 5 at a Good News Club that was hosted in my parents’ home.
When did you come to Word of Life Bible Institute?
I came to the Bible Institute in the fall of 1985 as a 17-year-old. I knew that I wanted to come to WOLBI since before I attended high school. I grew up going to Basketball Marathons, Operation Nightmares, Superbowls, productions like the Passion Play and Revelation, and pretty much any event that Word of Life was doing in our area of Maine.
What is your favorite memory of WOLBI as a student?
The relationships that I had with the guys in my dorm, Kenya. We called ourselves the Kenya Boys and one of my dormmates even had t-shirts made for us.
I also got to work on the horse team – I specifically worked with two Belgian draft horses named Jake and Josh.
What are some ways you are applying what you learned at the Bible Institute today, whether in daily life or vocational ministry?
In 2013, I returned to Word of Life and now I get to have a front-row seat to see all that God is doing here. I am blessed to be able to share bits and pieces of what God is doing with alumni through our Facebook group, and I also work to make alumni aware of opportunities for them to get involved in ministry whether with Word of Life or somewhere else.
What is your life verse and why?
Psalm 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid?” has been a verse that I turn to whenever I am facing a challenge or need some encouragement, which is frequently. It reminds me of the source of my strength.
If you could speak to a younger you today – what would you say?
Get out of your comfort zone and engage people more. Be bolder in sharing your faith!
