Keeping the Faith: the Rev. John A. Krach Jr. | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

In 1989, the Church of God approached him to use the facility to establish the Baltimore Dream Center at the same time that Calvary Temple needed a new senior pastor. He pooled his experience to establish the Maryland Church on the Rock as an interdenominational church.

Besides its many local ministries, the Rev. Krach is proud of its international outreach. "We have ministered in India, Rome, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Hawaii. I smuggled Bibles into China!" Another very important mission trip came three years ago when he and his wife, Linda Krach, went into Kazakhstan the parents of two boys and came back with a 9-year old daughter, having adopted a child who had lived her life in an orphanage since she was 6 months old.

ROLE IN CHURCH: "As a pastor, I care for the needs of the people," he said. "My gifts are teaching, leadership and evangelism."

BACKGROUND: The Rev. Krach grew up in Glen Burnie and Linthicum, graduating from Andover High School in 1977. Having grown up in a world where he experienced divorce and had only alcoholics, drug dealers and thieves as his mentors, he chose to "run away to the Army" at the age of 19. That is where his Christian life began: someone handed the panic-stricken teen a pocket-sized Gideon Bible while he sat in a chair waiting to be processed as a new recruit. He worked very closely with the chaplain's office while serving as a combat paratrooper and squad leader in Gelhnhausen, Germany; California and North Carolina. After the Army, he attended the International Seminary through World Ministries Fellowship and earned degrees in biblical studies, theology and a master's in ministry. The year 2009 will mark a significant milestone in his life. The church will celebrate its 20th anniversary; he will mark 30 years' ministering and celebrate his 50th birthday.

FIRST JOB: He was a stock boy at the Unclaimed Freight Furniture Store.

MOMENT OF CALLING: The Rev. Krach received his calling during a service in the chapel in Gelhnhausen. "It just fell on me. I felt God's call."

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: His greatest challenge is "denying myself," the Rev. Krach said, "just keeping me out of the way and letting God be God in my life. All of us have a nature in part of us that needs to die daily. You want to be loving, caring, compassionate. Sometimes you don't have patience. To me it's a challenge.

LIKES MOST: Being able to see the kind of change he has experienced by having a relationship with God develop in those around him.

LIKES LEAST: It pains him when the church can't cure an illness or pull people out of a financial hole or when members of his church can't resolve conflict in a loving or caring way.

LONG-RANGE GOAL: The Rev. Krach said he aspires for his church to maintain a caring presence in the community. "You can build; you can have more people; but it means nothing if you don't have that."

IF HE COULD DO IT AGAIN: "If I could change one thing in my life, it would be my past, my life before Christ; to think I wasted precious time."

FAVORITE SCRIPTURE: Matthew 6:33. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The Rev. Krach says it reminds him of a Sunday school anagram: "JOY: Jesus, Others then You." "That's real joy," he said, "The things that I need are taken of. It challenges me to be something beyond selfish."

SERVICE HOURS: 10 a.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Wednesday. For more information, visit www.mdcotr.org.

- Elyzabeth Marcussen

To have a church leader featured in Keeping the Faith, send an e-mail to Elyzabeth Marcussen, Community News Editor, at emarcussen@mdgazette.com or call 410-766-3700, Ext. 2404.