The conditions were far from ideal when Russell Zwerner became pastor of Capitol Heights Baptist Church Montgomery. He first stepped into the pulpit of this struggling congregation on March 23, 2020 — “COVID Sunday.”
Prior to taking the pastoral role Zwerner had been teaching seminary classes, holding multiple degrees including a master of divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctor of ministry. One day he came home from teaching and told his wife he sensed God was calling him back to the local church — the epicenter of ministry.
Rather than planting a church or stepping into one that already had a strong foundation, Zwerner was willing and ready to serve a church that needed God to breathe new life into it — and God opened the door to Capitol Heights.
The church had been dwindling for years.
“Unfortunately, the congregation has gotten older with time and the previous pastor had performed over 300 funerals before he quit counting,” noted Renée Dodson, a church member of more than 25 years. “We weren’t getting any new members and the young families all moved away for better school choices.”
Zwerner brought a vision for the revitalization of Capitol Heights and the city of Montgomery — one life at a time by the power of the gospel. He said one way to know a church is dying is that it no longer looks like the community it is in. From the start, Zwerner encouraged a drastic perspective shift toward local outreach, and those who stayed at the church aligned with the vision.
“Pastor Zwerner has gotten everyone fired up and taught us to do ministry in a whole new way,” said Julie Burns, Zwerner’s administrative assistant.
“He has been an answer to prayers,” Dodson added. “He is young, brilliant, loving, and has a heart for the community around CHBC.”
As a church, the people of Capitol Heights are reintroducing themselves to the community and asking God to move in peoples’ lives.
“We are meeting people where they are and showing them that we care about them,” Zwerner said.
Pray, stay, go
On Wednesday nights members participate in a program they call, “Pray, Stay, Go.” Attendees divide into three groups and one goes on prayer-walks. Another stays in the church building and writes encouraging cards to visitors or members who haven’t attended in awhile. The third group hits the streets and goes door to door in the neighborhood to connect with the community. They ask questions like, “What do you think our community needs most right now?” to show those in the area they genuinely care.
They also started an after-school tutoring program to meet an immediate need.
Zwerner said the strategy for having people encounter Jesus as Lord comes from John 17.
“We’re literally saying to God, ‘We believe You can transform this city — and You want to for Your glory.’” Zwerner said. “‘So use us to proclaim the never-changing truth of God to give hope to the ever-changing world.
“‘And as we see and transform these lives, people will come in and encounter You as Lord, be equipped to go and do the work of ministry, encourage others through service, and engage a lost and dying world so that You can get all the glory.’”
Staying with it
Revitalizing a church doesn’t happen overnight, and the people of Capitol Heights are seeing God at work throughout the process. The congregation remains small, but there have been significant changes over the past few years.
“If you ask anybody in our church, they are different than they were four years ago,” Burns said. “They have a better understanding of how to read their Bible and what it means to be a Christian.”
Members share a passion for reaching the community and are united in their love for the lost.
“During my 19 years at CHBC many members have left, but today we have a small core group of motivated, faithful members worshiping differently,” noted Deacon Julian Strahan. “There is work ahead, and we want to make a difference in the church and our community.”
Zwerner and the congregation are committed to being the hands and feet of Jesus in Capitol Heights.
Zwerner said the prayer of the church body is, “Jesus, we are staying with it. We want to be the answer to Your prayers — so use us.”
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