Darrell Henry, senior pastor of Oakwood Baptist Church (www.oakwoodbc.org) in Chickamauga, Ga., will be one of the featured breakout session presenters for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's upcoming Pastor-Deacon-Church Leadership Retreat at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center, May 11-12. Recently, Jim Vaught, church minister matching specialist for the Mission Board, interviewed him about the growth experience of his church in a small town.
Vaught: What was your church like when you became its pastor?
Henry
Henry: Chickamauga is a small town of less than 2,500 residents. When I came to Oakwood Baptist in 1991, the Sunday worship attendance was just over 200. The church was deacon-led with positive pastoral relations and people loved their pastor.
Vaught: What is Oakwood Baptist like now?
Henry: In January of this year we averaged 2,200 each Sunday in our five weekend worship services. The great news is that 1,200 members of our church have been baptized since 1991. Last Easter we had 7,000 persons attend our outdoor service in the park. This year we are praying to have 10,000 persons present.
Vaught: How did you get to this level of growth?
Henry: I realized we could not change overnight. I continued to nurture our deacons. Gradually after about two years, we began to change the culture and the vocabulary of the church. Growth began to happen immediately. As our attendance grew, we then faced the challenge of starting a new service or building a new sanctuary. We started a new service, which God blessed, and in 1998 we built a new 1,200-seat worship center. Prior to the new building, we were averaging 550 in worship. “Forty Days of Purpose” and remaining focused on our purpose were the catalysts for growth.
Vaught: What were the greatest challenges?
Henry: There have been two challenges: change and keeping up with the growth. Change is challenging for everyone, including the pastor. Ministers don't like change. I have had to change my style of leadership and the way I present sermons. Our message remains the same, but our methods must change. Also, it is a tremendous challenge finding new ways to keep up with the growth and creating new worship services.
Vaught: What is in the future for Oakwood Baptist?
Henry: Despite the number we are reaching, 70 percent of our community is unchurched. On May 6 we will launch our second multi-site worship center in an outlet mall. We are praying for 500 in attendance at the first service. We also will continue to develop our “life groups” in the homes of worshippers. These groups will grow as their members invite their lost neighbors to them. In 10 years we want 10,000 persons to attend our weekend services.
At the Pastor-Deacon-Church Leadership Retreat, Henry will share more of Oakwood's story in a breakout session entitled “Reaching Today's World in and around Small Towns.” All who are interested are invited to contact the Virginia Baptist Mission Board at 800.ALL.BGAV (255.2428) for more information or go to www.VBMB.org website to register for the retreat.