About 30 years ago, Curtis Rich served as pastor of Eastside Baptist Church, Union Springs, for four years. In 2005, his ministry at the Bullock-Centennial Baptist Association church came full circle when he was called to serve as its pastor again.
It went even further in April 2007, when Rich expanded his ministry in his old stomping grounds to include all the churches of Bullock-Centennial Association, becoming their director of missions.
It hasn’t been that complicated to juggle both roles, he said, since he didn’t have to get to know the area or the people.
“Throughout the years, I have become acquainted with the churches and the members of each church,” Rich said. “Being a small association in a small county, the churches get together for a fifth Sunday singing and have food and fellowship.”
And throughout the years, his ministry has had an impact on the association, too.
During his first stint at Eastside Baptist, he baptized 75 people in one year and saw four young men go into the ministry.
One of those was David Stewart, who now serves as a bivocational pastor to two churches in the association, Midway Baptist and Inverness Baptist, Union Springs.
“I think everyone in the association was as glad as Eastside Baptist Church to have him come back as pastor,” Stewart said of Rich.
It’s a common sentiment for Rich’s churches. Eastside is one of three churches he has served twice as pastor during his 46 years of ministry.
“He’ll make us a real good director of missions, too,” Stewart said.
According to Rich, Bullock-Centennial Association has multiple ministries, including an active Hispanic mission in Union Springs. The association provides a meeting place as well as a Hispanic minister, and playground equipment is in the works as a possibility, too.
Rich and other Baptists in the association are also involved in missions elsewhere.
In July, about 60 people from the area made a 10-day trip to North Waterboro, Maine, to work on a church’s new building. Rich and his wife, Bernice, were among the group.
The church has been established for seven years, and its 85 members currently meet in a school lunchroom for weekly worship with an attendance of 185 to 200.
A couple members of the group remained for an additional week to complete work on the new building’s kitchen, constructing cabinets and installing appliances, among other tasks.
Share with others: