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“Two Churches, One Building... Serving One Lord"

Recently, two churches joined together in a worship service to celebrate a new church building…. but this was about much more than just a building. Two congregations bonded by a devastating tornado were meeting together to celebrate our friendship and in a wonderful way… to say good-bye.

Two and half years ago a tornado ripped through our community and completely destroyed Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church. The picture in the newspaper showed a damaged church with both side walls and the roof completely blown away. Yet, you could plainly see exposed pews with bibles and hymnals still in the racks. I will never forget the overwhelming destruction shown by that photograph.

Within days, leaders at Timberlake United Methodist made arrangements for Lawyers Missionary Baptist to share our building for as long as necessary. For over two years each church worked side by side sharing dinners, youth ministry, Vacation Bible School and occasional worship services.

Now, in a special worship service the same photo showing the devastation and destruction of Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church is enclosed in a picture frame alongside another: This photograph shows a newly finished church building sitting proudly on a hill as if inviting all of nature itself to come and join in the celebration. In between the two pictures are the words: “God’s Love in Action.”

“God’s Love in Action” beautifully describes the efforts of two churches, two leaders; Jim Adams and Charlie Droog and dozens of other businesses and volunteers who selflessly gave of themselves to enable Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church to occupy their beautiful new building.

A local company donated a beautiful stained glass window. Another company installed heating and air-conditioning free. One church donated a baptismal pool. Another donated pews and raised money to buy a steeple. Hundreds of volunteers worked on the building or supplied food for the workers. Now the church stands finished, ready to be used and best of all, fully paid for… with no mortgage… none!

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Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church

God's Love in Action

Darrell Laurant, a local columnist wrote: “As movie reviewers love to say, this is the ‘feel-good story of the year.’ The crisis-enforced partnership between Timberlake United Methodist Church and Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church says so much about the true New Testament message and the evolving relationship between races in this part of the world that it almost makes my hair stand on end.”

Could this be why God brought both of our congregations together? The Apostle Paul wrote: “For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.” (Galatians 5:14-15) Two churches once separated by denomination and race learned to work together and discovered the real meaning of loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Yet amidst all the celebration of the new building, another miracle of God occurred during our church service and the best part of all is virtually no one even noticed.

During worship, we shared the sacrament of Holy Communion which is a sacred moment in the life of any Christian congregation: Rev. Carlton Johnson, the black pastor of Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church served the juice and stood beside me, a white United Methodist pastor as I served the bread while on the other side of the sanctuary, the lay leaders from each of our churches stood together and also served communion as two church families came forward together as one united congregation.

What I just described would simply be unheard of as recently as thirty or forty years ago yet no one even considered challenging this hallowed moment. In fact… quite the opposite judging from an email:

“Larry, we thought the worship service was one of the best. From using the book, "Who Moved My Cheese" to Communion was very moving for us. All the different denominations and races pointing to one goal: Worshiping our Father together. That is the way it should be. We all felt the same way. Also, you had a very good lesson from the big pile of cheese... it certainly made us think. It made us feel good to be members of Timberlake United Methodist Church.” God Bless, Frank and Betty.

Other stories about Lawyers Missionary Baptist Church...

A Tornado and Two Churches

The Building Begins

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Last modified June 8, 2004.

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