Rev. Paul Powell became Pastor of Kingshighway Baptist Church (KBC) in 1982. Fourteen years later, he chose to retire. His years as Pastor were successful years. At one time, the Church had up to eight very successful missions. But by the time of his retirement, many of the circumstances that seemed to plague Inner City churches had begun to happen at KBC.
After 1996, KBC had a difficult time finding and keeping a Pastor. They had a number of Interims and some part-time bi-vocational ministers but none stayed long enough to help turn things around, and the church continued to decline. One Interim had suggested the church sell their resources, turn the funds over to the local Baptist Association and urge their members to join other congregations.
In seeming desperation, the congregation asked Rev. Powell if he would return as Interim.
After serving less than six months, he was invited to change his status to Pastor with the understanding his hours per week would have to be limited. He accepted. But after serving only a few weeks he came to feel his time and energy were more limited than he had realized. Rev. Powell asked if he could add a part-time Associate and invited to that position a minister he had known years before who was also a retiree, Bill Affolter. Their Theology, philosophies, and approaches to ministry meshed so well that they made a very effective team and have allowed God to do some exciting things in just three short years.
When they first teamed up there were about 20 older persons attending and holding things together.
There were no young families and, therefore, no children. Virtually all the members were as gray-haired (or hairless) as were the two ministers those who were left were extremely faithful. Though they were all on fixed incomes, and none were wealthy, they held things together financially, as well as spiritually, until God got ready to "do His Thing" in their midst.
Three decisions were made and adopted by the membership those first months. They would have to decide "business as usual" would no longer get the job done. They would have to be willing to move out of their comfort zones and become an entirely different kind of church than they had been. They would have to do advance planning but find a way to make those plans flexible enough that the Lord could change them as He saw fit. And most of all they HAD to put into place the concept that every child of God is welcome here and find ways to demonstrate that openly.
These decisions led to others they did not expect. They had to decide that spiritual needs were not enough; they must also help with physical needs. The church had to find a way to be unashamedly Christian while at the same time being caring and compassionate. And they had to learn that real compassion can never be faked. They leaned that God would provide the recourses to provide that compassion.
Thus when "Jackie" came along with a seven-year Meth habit, got saved and wanted to find a way to help others, she was encouraged to begin "Addicts Victorious." When she needed to get some arrest warrants dealt with, one of the ministers and his wife went to court and to her parole board with her. When "Bob" came along after finding Christ in prison while serving 22 years of his young life behind bars, he began "City of Refuge." "Cindy," who had grown up in an alcoholic family and had two tragic marriages with alcoholics, started a chapter of "Al-Anon."
KBC has already begun a dozen new activities or projects. There are GED training classes three days a week, and a Literacy class is in its beginning stages. There are eight Mentors being trained who will take some of these hurting ladies as one on one "clients." A class on computer repair was just completed, and out of 17 who began the class, 11 were granted certificates of completion.
Now instead of declining membership, as seems to be happening in most Inner-City churches, people are coming out of the woodwork. In the first eight weeks of 2006, there were 24 additions to the Church with new visitors in almost every service. Talk about a new beginning! As a marvelous preacher once said:
God is good and He's good all the time.