Non-SDA Leader Guides Pathfinder Team to 1st Place NAD Level of PBE
Interview conducted by Neat Randriamialison
Meet Patsy Jenkins. Patsy is not a Seventh-day Adventist, but you wouldn’t know it by the way she leads, teaches, and disciples the Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE) team at Mountain View SDA Church in Las Vegas. For the past three years, she’s coached a group of young people called the Sin City Saints, and in 2025, they took first place at the North American Division PBE Finals, a national-level achievement.
But this story is about more than a trophy. It’s about what happens when a local church opens the door wide enough for someone outside the denomination to walk in, serve with purpose, and change lives, including their own.
Patsy’s passion isn’t complicated. She saw what kids were missing and she decided to do something about it.
“With everything that’s going on and the kids always out and about,” she said, “most kids are not growing up in the church, or they’re not studying. So I figured if we do PBE, it gives the kids the opportunity to dig into the Bible, dig into God’s Word. And that’s something they keep with them.”
She’s seen how the Word of God becomes part of their lives. “It comes to you whether you think you forgot it or not… something happens, and it’s there. It’s in your heart. The Word is there, and you’re able to cling to that.”
A Culture of the Bible, Not Just a Club
Her approach is spiritual and structured. Every day begins with the same priorities: “Bible first, pray first, praise first.”
Their team studies together at 8:00 a.m. daily. Each member is responsible for specific chapters, but they all come together to review, discuss, and truly understand the Word. “Before they study on their own, I break the chapters down. What is this chapter about? What is it talking about? We have to understand it first. Once you understand it, then you can study it.”
Patsy insists on physical Bibles, no screens. “You can have all the electronics you want, but you’re going to pick up a physical Bible. Hold God’s Word in your hands. It’s different than reading on the phone. You feel the weight of it.”
A group picture of the Mountain View SDA Pathfinders Club.
Building Disciples, Not Just Winners
What stands out most is how deeply Patsy is shaping the spiritual lives of her team within the structure of the Pathfinders Club.
“They’re able to carry [the Word] with them. When they’re going through something, they remember… In Kings, it said this. In James, it said this. That’s what it’s about.”
That’s discipleship. That’s leadership. And that’s why the Sin City Saints are already preparing for next year with chapters assigned and hearts set on going all the way again.
