Hello,
My name is Tim Merki, and it has been our joy to serve at Sonoma Baptist Church in Winnemucca, Nevada, since June of 2017. In God’s providence, He has allowed me to shepherd His people for about twenty years, including previous pastorates in Texas, North Carolina, and Maryland, before leading our family to this rural corner of northern Nevada. Each place has stretched us, shaped us, and reminded us again and again of the Lord’s faithfulness to His church in every season and setting.
My wife, Heidi, and I were married in June of 2003, and she has been a steady and faithful partner in life and ministry ever since. I am deeply grateful for the way she loves our family and quietly serves the church, often in ways that are unseen but deeply felt. The Lord has blessed us with three boys—Ben, Jos, and Whit—who keep life full, active, and often loud, and we count it a privilege to raise them in the life of the local church. As a family, we enjoy being outdoors, cheering on our boys in their activities, opening our home, and simply doing life together with our church family.
Though we are not native Nevadans, northern Nevada has truly become home to us. We have grown to love the wide‑open spaces, the close‑knit community, and the unique opportunities for gospel ministry in a small, rural setting. In addition to my pastoral work, I also serve in education, which allows me to invest in students and families throughout the week while continuing to shepherd a smaller congregation with care and attentiveness as a bi‑vocational pastor.
More than anything, our desire is to see Christ exalted, His Word faithfully preached, and His people strengthened and equipped for every good work. We are thankful for what God has already done at Sonoma Baptist Church and look ahead with prayerful expectation, asking the Lord to continue using this small church to make much of Jesus in Winnemucca and beyond.
