COPPELL, Texas (ABP) — Valley Ranch Baptist Church seemingly had all the ingredients for expansion in a growing suburb of Dallas. Young families drove church growth. The congregation owned its land and facilities. More people were coming. Excitement and energy was high.
But all that was dashed eight years ago with one question: Should they add on to their facilities?
The congregation fractured into two camps. One felt the church was not accommodating growth quickly enough. The other thought the congregation was trying to build too quickly.
Arguments broke out between members. Heated theological debates arose in the congregation. The pastor left for another church.
The church decided it needed some direction and contacted the Baptist General Convention of Texas' office of minister/church relations. The group's intentional interim program connects a church with a temporary pastor while the congregation works through its mission and identity.
Through the intentional interim program, church members realized they needed to identify God's purpose for the congregation, said member Delwin Hinkle.
“During the first 60 days [of the intentional interim] it became clear we were wrestling with questions we didn't have the answers to,” Hinkle said.
The congregation held a series of town-hall meetings to discuss the church's mission and identity. Members talked about theological issues and God's will for the body.
Through the meetings, members began seeing they had much more in common than previously known. A sound theological foundation was formed. The congregation wrote a booklet of basic beliefs to help prospective pastors better know the church. They identified the church's mission as expanding “Christ's reign” through every facet of the congregation's life.
Members formed a committee that helped the church find ways to reach the community. Relationships with Cornerstone Baptist Church in Dallas and the Global Mission Fellowship grew out of this committee.
The church gave 1,200 children Christmas presents through its relationship with Cornerstone Baptist Church last year. About six church mission teams go to South America annually.
A strategy committee helped decide a new building was needed and designed it to help the church fulfill its calling.
As consensus grew, business meetings became less formal because members put the congregation's purpose above small squabbles. Prayer and communication flourished.
The church called Larry Parsley of Atlanta as pastor in August 1999. The church has grown considerably under his leadership. Average Sunday attendance is about 800, and the congregation worships in a new expanded sanctuary.
When the church moved into its new building, the leaders struggled with what to do with the Sunday evening service. Some felt carrying on the evening service would spread volunteers too thin to meet other needs created by the new building.
Parsley had lunch with several members who faithfully attended the evening service. He later called a town-hall meeting for evening worshipers, where he retold the history of the nighttime service. He explained the need to end it and fielded questions. Strong feelings were expressed. But in the end the church agreed to discontinue the service and move forward without conflict.
“We have had moments where bringing our people together and shooting straight with them has paid dividends,” Parsley said.
Because the members agree on the church's mission, leaders say, they are willing to put aside smaller differences to carry out the congregation's purpose.
“The things we did to define who we are and what we are to be about still shapes us today,” Hinkle said.
-30-