Living a double life is a point of pride for David Stewart — something he’s certain the Lord is pleased with.
His wife doesn’t seem to mind. Neither does his church.
Either of them.
Stewart, a Union Springs pharmacist during the week, pulls double duty as pastor of two churches in Bullock-Centennial Baptist Association.
It’s a juggling act that Gary Swafford, director of the office of associational missions and church planting for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, said a number of pastors in the state are dealing with at any given time.
"You get to extend your church family that way," Stewart said of his situation as pastor of Inverness Baptist, Union Springs, and Midway Baptist.
For most of his ministry, Stewart has served two churches as pastor, and these days, he starts his Sundays at 9 a.m. After all God’s people at Inverness Baptist say, "amen," it’s time for Midway Baptist’s service, which starts at 11 a.m.
"It usually takes me about 30 or 40 minutes to get there, depending on how fast I drive," Stewart said.
The cycle repeats itself Wednesday nights — Inverness Baptist at 6:30 and Midway Baptist at 7:30 — but Stewart insists that burning his ministerial wick at both ends is a privilege he was born to handle, despite the potential for complications.
"[The churches are] very understanding of my unique ministry, and I try to make sure they’re both taken care of. I feel called to both," Stewart said.
Though the physical distance between Inverness Baptist and Midway Baptist generally guards against anyone finding out for sure, he maintains that each of his congregations is uniquely edified from week to week.
"That’s the thing that everyone wants to know, whether I preach the same message," Stewart said coyly. "But there’s no such thing as the same sermon."
Leslie Woodham feels the same, though serving "warmed over" sermons, as he calls them, certainly would be trickier for the Barbour Baptist Association pastor.
The pulpit Woodham commands at Belcher Bethel Baptist Church, Clayton, on the first and third Sundays of the month is only 10 miles from the one he assumes at Christian Grove Baptist Church in the same town on the second and fourth. The pews of one are often filled with members of the other.
"It takes some working and planning for it to work out, but I try to have a different sermon every Sunday because a large number of people would be at the one I preached before," Woodham said.
"Large percentage" would be more precise, as Belcher Bethel Baptist and Christian Grove Baptist have a combined membership of about 30 people. Christian Grove was, in fact, only kept alive by Woodham and his wife, Rachel, who transferred their memberships to the fledging church five years ago when it had no active members.
"We had been members of Belcher Bethel while the last pastor was there, but he became disabled and had to resign. Belcher Bethel still had 12 members or so, while Christian Grove in effect didn’t have any active members, just one inactive member who was disabled," Woodham said.
Woodham, a former schoolteacher, assumed pastoral responsibilities for both churches and has seen both revitalized. "Five years ago, both were in great need of repair, and [both congregations] pulled together and got the money and did all the work needed in both of the churches. I just have to give them both credit for it," he said. "If it hadn’t been for their faithfulness in giving, I guess Belcher Bethel would be falling down right now."
Woodham and Stewart report "minor bobbles" in their dual roles. Stewart, regarding names, will occasionally cross wires midservice, while Woodham often finds himself driving in the direction opposite the church where he’s preaching. But both claim that, despite twice the burden, the sometimes rocky administrative seas pastors sail are for them smooth as silk.
"I try to serve both evenly, so to speak," Woodham said. "Both our churches are close, and they’re faithful in their giving. One group will give to their church one Sunday and then give to the other the next."
Stewart said his churches get along famously, too.
"I try to be as devoted to one as I am to the other," he said. "They cooperate and I love both of them."
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