Just more than a year ago South Shelby Baptist Church sprang to life in Shelby Association.
And now, the expanding congregation, which recently moved from meeting in a school to a church building, has outgrown its Sunday School space.
In a twist that both pastors credit to God’s perfect timing, South Shelby’s sister church, North Shelby Baptist Church, had two modular trailer units that were no longer needed. North Shelby sold the units to South Shelby for $1 in early September.
Tom Minor, pastor of South Shelby, said, “We are forever indebted to [North Shelby]. They recognized the needs of a new church starting a new work beginning.”
North Shelby Church, which started only nine years ago and has been helped by several along its journey, definitely understands a new church start, said North Shelby Pastor Allan Murphy.
Through donations from the Birmingham and Shelby Baptist associations, North Shelby has grown to 560 members.
Starting in a storefront, North Shelby has now moved into the first phase of a 17-acre church campus on Double Oak Mountain.
“God gives to us so we can give to others,” Murphy said. “I believe we have been blessed because we haven’t tried to pull in, but rather reach out.” Various area churches have benefited from North Shelby’s giving, receiving pews, money, labor, the former choir loft and baptistery, as well as use of the church’s old site that will eventually be home to a family life center.
“I think churches tend to be competitive, and there’s no need to be,” Murphy said. “God’s not honored by that, He’s honored by cooperation.”
(TAB)
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