SCOTTSVILLE, Va. — Scottsville Baptist Church, a Virginia congregation closely associated with iconic Baptist missionary Lottie Moon, called its first woman pastor — Katie McKown — last fall, continuing a long tradition of female leadership in the church.
The church, in the town on the James River about 20 miles south of Charlottesville, was founded in 1840, the year Moon was born. Her parents were key organizers of the new congregation and contributed to the costs of constructing the sanctuary, in which the church continues to worship.
Katie McKown began her tenure as pastor last fall.
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Last November, McKown began her tenure as pastor of the church, which affiliates with the Baptist General Association of Virginia, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia, the national CBF and the Southern Baptist Convention.
A graduate of Georgetown (Ky.) College and Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary in Waco Texas, she recently sat down for an interview about her ministry and experience at Scottsville.
Q: What first drew you to Scottsville Baptist?
A: Laughter drew me to Scottsville. When I met with the search committee we laughed throughout the interview. Almost right away we were comfortable with one another. I was me and they were them — what a gift.
What I am blessed by is their faithfulness. I wish people could see them being faithful. As their pastor, it is inspiring to watch this great cloud of witnesses serve. One of our 92-year-old members, Katherine, works in the clothing closet every Thursday. When she was in the hospital recently she couldn’t wait to sort clothes again. The people of Scottsville Baptist rise to the challenge and they are so very faithful. It’s a privilege for me to be part of them.
Q: How have you been welcomed to the church and the community?
A: Scottsville is a wonderful small town with a lot of character. Folks have been bend-over-backwards kind. They see me at the Food Lion or Lumpkin’s and call my name. They ask me how the transition is going. Some folks are surprised by my gender and age; a Baptist pastor who is female is new to lots of folks.
Lottie Moon as a young woman.
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The local pastors have been amazing. They have invited me to meals, parties, huddles and two gentlemen even stopped by my house to visit and welcome me. The Gideons even dedicated five Bibles in my honor.
Q: How does the rich history of Scottsville Baptist influence the mission and vision of the church?
A: Missions lights a fire underneath the people of Scottsville Baptist. They are eager for ways to share the gospel and meet needs locally and internationally.
Lottie Moon’s parents, Anna and Edward, helped start Scottsville Baptist Church almost 173 years ago. The Moon family legacy is still felt. Our excellent church historian dedicated a room to Lottie Moon and it is meant to capture Lottie’s history but also to compel us to missions giving and living in 2013. Sometimes I imagine little Lottie running around the church. In December we recognized the 100 year anniversary of Lottie Moon’s death.
Remnants of Lottie’s furlough residence are almost across the street from the parsonage so I think of Lottie nearly every day. Lottie inspires me to be a better missionary and pastor. I don’t think it’s a coincidence God called me here.
Q: What are your hopes for the church moving forward?
A: My hope is for us to listen to God’s call and follow. My hope is for us to build on our strengths of faithfulness, missions and openness. My prayer is we are open to the movement of the Holy Spirit — even if God’s call seems improbable or impossible. My prayer is we are willing and excited to be part of what God is doing in Scottsville and the world.
Leah Grundset Davis ([email protected]), associate pastor for congregational life at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, is a Religious Herald contributing writer.