Blount pastors switch ‘homes’

For two pastors in Blount Association, trading places was all part of God’s plan.
   
When Ennis Stone, pastor for eight years at Austin Creek Baptist Church in Blount County, turned in his resignation he told them God would send them someone to continue his work.
   
Upon hearing the news, the church, whose attendance runs around 100 each Sunday, immediately started searching for a pastor.
   
Lifelong member 94-year-old Mettie Bullard, said, “We love Bro. Ennis so much, his leaving is like a death in the family.”
   
The search committee decided to contact a familiar face, Paul Kelly who, also for the past eight years, had been pastor of a church only 20 miles away in Arab. After offering Kelly an invitation, he told the search committee he would pray about the call and let them know “when the Lord lets me know.”
   
“In about a week I called them and accepted the position,” he said.
   
Kelly’s church — Warrior Creek Baptist, whose attendance averages 120 per week — was now in the same situation as their associational neighbor.
   
Warrior Creek’s search committee did not have to cast their nets far. It turned out Stone’s first pastorate had been at Warrior Creek a number of years earlier. Both preachers had participated during the years in summer revivals at the other’s church so they were both known to each congregation. Stone was issued an invitation to return to his former pastorate and he accepted.
   
Both bivocational pastors will begin their new jobs on the same Sunday — Oct. 1