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| Churches Sign First Partnering Covenant |
| Release Date: 02/07/2006 |
 LOUISVILLE – The pastors of two Kentucky Baptist churches signed a special covenant today, pledging to offer each other support and encouragement as both seek to become stronger, healthier, growing congregations.
Ronny Raines, pastor of Northside Baptist Church in Elizabethtown, and Phil Ellis, pastor of First Baptist Church, Jamestown, signed a Partnering Church Covenant in the chapel of the Kentucky Baptist Building on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
Under the terms of the covenant, the two churches are committing to encouraging and equipping one another, and well as establishing relationships between members of the two bodies and reproducing the partnering model in other Kentucky Baptist churches.
Kentucky Baptist leaders hope to foster such partnerships between 100 or more churches by Jan. 1, 2010 as part of the Kentucky Baptists Connect emphasis, a five-year initiative to increase baptisms; disciple Christians more effectively; start new Bible study units, ministries and churches; and develop leaders.
“This kind of networking is biblical as we think about the Apostle Paul and the churches he started across the world known at that time,” said Dr. Bill Mackey, KBC executive director. Mackey sees the partnership as a way to connect resources and people efficiently, at the point of need. He sees the role of the KBC as that of encouraging and enabling partnerships between churches.
The road to the covenant signing started six months ago when Phil Ellis, pastor of First Baptist Church, Jamestown, contacted the KBC Church Development and Evangelism Team office seeking to connect with another church that could mentor and inspire his own congregation.
The rural, county seat congregation was having trouble growing past the 100-125-member mark, says Ellis.
“This is a real nice church, full of real nice people, and we have a lot to offer the community,” says Ellis, who sees potential for the church to grow to 200-300 in membership.
He wanted connect with a church that “had been where we are, and is now where we want to go.”
Alan Witham, KBC church development strategist, prayerfully considered Ellis’ request and feels as if he was led to just the right match: Northside Baptist Church in Elizabethtown.
Northside was established in 1987 as a mission of Severns Valley Baptist Church in Elizabethtown. The church has now grown to worship attendance of 375 on Sundays. Raines describes it as a “multi-staff, contemporary church” with dual Sunday schools and multiple worship services.
Raines hopes to be “sharpened, as iron sharpens iron” by his relationship with Ellis and his church.
Plans are underway for key leaders from the two churches to meet in Campbellsville – a point halfway between the two churches, which are 80 miles apart – in late March. A fellowship cookout is also in the works for Memorial Day weekend, and a pulpit exchange is also being planned for later in the year.
For more information about partnering churches, contact the Church Development and Evangelism Team at (502) 489-3571 or call toll free in Kentucky at (866) 489-3571.
Release prepared by Brenda Rick Smith, KBC Communications |
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