It Might Not Look Like Much
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26
Those words from Ezekiel have been floating around my head for days now, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.” When an outsider looks as New City East Side and even at the pictures I am posting here, it might not look like much. But it is.
On Friday, January 28th, at the New City East Side Partners Dinner, the announcement was made that Lawrence Robinson would become New City East Side’s first Lead Pastor! Pastor Lawrence had been serving as interim pastor and as a New City Macon Elder. When the announcement was made the Partners who were present stood to their feet clapping and cheering with smiles of joy. After the dinner, the joyful words of affirmation for the decision continued. On Sunday the East Side Elder and Deacons made the announcement to the congregation and with prayer and the laying on of hands, Pastor Lawrence was publicly installed as East Side’s first Lead Pastor.
I know. That happens all the time, churches installing a new or even a first Lead Pastor.
But this story is very different!
New City East Side is a church replant. The church used to be known as Northridge Baptist Church. Northridge has a long rich history of reaching its community with the gospel, serving its people in times of need and helping the community as a whole.
But like so many churches, over time things changed. The community changed. The membership grew older and dwindled. Northridge became a much older congregation with no young families. While the racial and economic makeup of the community had changed, Northridge’s makeup had not changed. I don’t write this in any way to be mean or harsh, but because of the actions and words of a few, the older, white congregation had received a reputation for having racist members.
We knew the reputation when New City began working with the leadership on a possible future. When Northridge agreed on working with us to replant as a new church we were aware that our racial makeup and racial views might be a problem for some. Because of this we were very slow to introduce Pastor Lawrence to the pulpit, though we all agreed he was our most “ready to preach” Elder. It was only after a month or so of other Elders preaching at the new church that we introduced Pastor Lawrence to the pulpit, and then it was only to preach once a month. Over time that grew to twice a month and his role in the leadership of the replant slowly increased. In addition to Pastor Lawrence who is black, several of the families that chose to go and help with the replant were either black or mixed families. This was not by our choosing but by their choice! This caused a few more of the former members to leave the replant.
“Can Pastor Lawrence just be the preacher every week? We like the other elders, but we really love his preaching and teaching!”
But after a couple of months something began to happen.
The people from Northridge who remained a part of the replant first began asking, “Can Pastor Lawrence just be the preacher every week? We like the other elders, but we really love his preaching and teaching!” So within a few months, we said yes and Pastor Lawrence became the regular preacher. A few more have left. But others came.
It a short time the question changed from, “Can Pastor Lawrence just be the preacher every week?” to “Can Pastor Lawrence just be our Pastor?” We love him and Ms. Marilyn.”
We always answered that we needed to find the best man to lead the church and the church needed to continue to grow before we named the first Lead Pastor. But to the joy of the Deacons and members at East Side, Pastor Lawrence became the interim Pastor, and is now their Lead Pastor!
New City East Side has continued to slowly grow and reach the community. As it has, the complexion of the church has changed. Their first installed Elder, Larry Purvis is a black man with a Puerto Rican wife and two beautiful daughters. Where Northridge’s children’s classrooms had grown silent, New City East Side’s classrooms ring with the sounds of happy children, children of all colors! One of East Side’s first hires was a Children’s Director, Mariah Gandy a black woman. The Worship Director is a white woman. One of the newest Partners is Asian.
The people visiting and staying are old and young, married and single, and come in every color and shade. During the Partners Dinner, one of the older, previously Northridge members spoke up after Pastor Lawrence was named their first Lead Pastor to say that the church has changed and everyone who ever visits talks about it, about how welcoming and nice all of the people are and how much she loves that!
While we were cleaning up, after the Partners Dinner another of the older, previous Northridge members spoke with great excitement about the announcement and then looked around and said, “Just look! We are not the same. We are different.” With joy, like it was the first time she had noticed or maybe the first time she had said it, she said, “See, we are white, and black, and brown, and Asian. Isn’t it amazing?”
When you look at the top picture from the Partners Dinner, it might not look like much. The growth is slow. The color is still very one sided. But you don’t see everything!
You don’t see the hearts. They are changed. Once guarded against outsiders, people who are different, or people of color, their hearts are now softened, receptive, and joyfully so! They welcome the stranger and they love their neighbors, all of them, just as Jesus has welcomed and loved each of us.
One more celebration of changed hearts. Years ago a piece of property was purchased behind and beside the church. Many wanted to purchase the property as a ‘buffer” to keep an unwanted people from being too close to the church. The property is under contract to be sold. The new owner just received Planning and Zoning approval for a new neighborhood. In celebration there is talk of buying an adjoining lot in the neighborhood.
Not to build a fence to keep the neighbors out, but to build a pathway from the neighborhood to the church, and maybe to serve as a lot for neighborhood events. How about that?
He said, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
Won’t He though?!
