Reflections: The Seasons of a Church, continued from page 3. winter churches. And we need to increase our efforts to give birth to spring churches. In the coming years, we will continue to offer ministries and services to churches in all four seasons. We will need to reallocate resources (finances, CBFNC seeks to serve staff, programs) to better serve churches in all seasons. churches in spring and winter. A majority of CBFNC churches, I am a believer in the like a majority of churches of all Movie theater converted into church facility. church—God’s universal church denominations in America today, and the local church. And I’m a are probably in the fall season. A growing number are believer in our fellowship, which serves to network and moving into winter. resource local churches in all seasons of their life cycle, We are probably best at resourcing summer and fall while providing a tangible way for all of us to participate churches. We have much to learn about how to help in God’s universal church. of the mission and resources God has entrusted to them. For a church to die well and leave a legacy for future generations is an act of courage and faithfulness.
A Season of . . . Legacy
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One church’s ending becomes another church’s new beginning. 4 | The Gathering
By Seth Hix CBFNC Associate Coordinator
ould an unconventional story of courage and faithfulness shown by a congregation in decline be worthy of your time? If so, you’ll want to read this brief account of my recent conversation with Rev. David Peppler, former pastor of Chamberlayne Baptist Church (CBC) in Richmond, Virginia. While CBC is not in North Carolina, it is connected to us through the broader Fellowship of CBF, as well as their two most recent pastors, who both have CBFNC connections. The history of CBC parallels many in our state’s fellowship. Founded in 1953 to serve a northern suburb of the city, it saw its ministry programs flourish for several decades, perhaps reaching its peak in the 80s and 90s. The early 2000s saw a slow and steady decline. There were no major church splits; only minor divisions over ministry and style. As the demographics of the community around them changed, church members gradually moved away. When Rev. Peppler arrived in August 2016, the active membership had dropped to around 85 and the church’s budget was disproportionately spent on maintaining their facilities. Following his first year of ministry there, which included 14 funeral services for dearly beloved saints, he felt led to engage the church in some creative ministry experiments. After experiencing a balance of measured successes and failures, the CBC See “A Season of Legacy” on page 5.