A Baptist Press article published in The Alabama Baptist in April reported that total baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention decreased for the second consecutive year.
But the recent efforts of Pine Level Baptist Church, Louisville, buck the denominational trend.
During the past two years, the church of 80 members has baptized 14 new believers — nearly 20 percent of its congregation. Pastor Robert McCoy believes the reason is Pine Level Baptist’s Sunday morning Bible study and visitation outreach.
“Ever since I’ve been here, there has been a great desire to study God’s Word among our people,” said McCoy, who is in his second year as pastor of the Barbour Baptist Association church.
“From personal experience, I know that when a person, in turn, attends Bible study on a regular basis, he or she may eventually make a decision to accept Christ as his or her personal Savior,” McCoy said.
He added that church members are passionate about reaching the lost with virtually every age group involved in the G.R.O.W. (God Rewards Our Work) outreach program. Some write letters, call prospects and even pray on Sunday evenings while others travel door to door to evangelize in the community.
R C Belcher, director of missions for Barbour Association, said Pine Level Baptist is well established and known in Louisville as a church with a heart for its community. The reputation is based in part on McCoy’s love for his congregation and community, Belcher believes.
“The heartbeat of his ministry is his love for his flock with his concern for every member of his church,” Belcher said. “Pine Level has grown under his leadership and continues to thrive week by week.”
Share with others: