It’s a common phrase among pastors, church leaders and even members — “The church building is just a building,” especially when the building is taken away abruptly in a disaster or destroyed in some form of a crime.
But for Hunter Street Baptist Church, Hoover, the building hasn’t been taken away. However, a similar phrase is often heard in and out of the church building.
Pastor Buddy Gray has long been quoted as saying, “Hunter Street Baptist Church is not a building but a people — a people committed to God and to each other.”
He began a sermon series in January 2014 based on the book of Acts and concentrated on the qualities of a “real church.” To help flesh out the purposes of a real church, Gray has focused on five emphases over the past 17 months: belong (authentic community), grow (intentional discipleship), serve (humble giving), tell (bold proclamation) and worship (biblical exaltation).
On May 17 the congregation held Celebration Sunday where more than 4,000 church members gathered in one service (instead of the normal three services) at Samford University’s Pete Hanna Center.
With the theme “We Are Hunter Street,” members gathered for worship, a sermon from Gray, the Lord’s Supper and, after the service, a tailgate lunch.
Prior to Celebration Sunday, Hunter Street began a process of renewing church memberships by passing out and mailing commitment cards.
After each Sunday service baskets were placed in the sanctuary so members could recommit and turn in their cards.
Janelle Hutto, who’s been a member for more than three years with her husband, said, “It was a good reminder of what we are committing to and why we are members of the church and why we want to be members of Hunter Street.”
To view the service and see photos, visit HunterStreet.org.
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