STRONG TEAM Church Strengthening Steve Rohrlack, Team Leader Nestled in a neighborhood of homes originally occupied by families of textile mill employees, Dunean Baptist Church was once the center of the neighborhood. Like many other textile communities, the Dunean area has experienced several transitions following the mill's closing. The once-thriving church found itself struggling to gather 50 on a Sunday morning. With her longtenured pastor nearing retirement, Rev. Calvin placed a call to the local association. Conversations, assessments, and the recommendation of a partner church to help implement an intentional strengthening plan would follow. The vision of Wayne Bray, lead pastor of Simpsonville First Baptist Church, was to come alongside a church like Dunean, helping them to prepare a succession plan of leadership and to invest resources to help strengthen the church. The new partnership utilized a revitalization residency program equipping Stephen Leopard to take the lead pastor role after a multi-year transition plan. This strategy included funds and resources for renovation of the facilities, allowing for new ministries to reach the community. Much like the placement of a teenager with a new foster family, Dunean would retain her autonomy and name but has the full support of the partnering church as guided by the covenant agreement. Church Life • RESTORE conference for ministers and spouses offered a much-needed retreat for pastors, staff, and wives. This was one of the first large-group gatherings following COVID-19. • Eleven bi-vocational pastors attended the Timothy-Barnabas conference sponsored by the North American Mission Board (NAMB). • NextStep participants received Regathering specific consultations as they began the process of recovering from the COVID-19 shutdown. • NextStep training in the areas of communication, team building, conflict management, and leading congregational change resumed in August 2021. • Transitional Pastor training merged with Church Revitalization to elevate the level of preparation for this vital interim role. Church Strategies • More than 75 percent of the Associational Mission Strategists (AMS) were trained as church revitalization practitioners and consultants. • RE, an interactive cohort for revitalization pastors, launched in 2021. The process equips pastors to apply biblical principles and revitalization strategies in their specific context. • From September through August, 11 churches affirmed recommendations for revitalization or reSTART. Many more are still in the consultation process with trained practitioners to yield future recommendations aimed at strengthening the church. • Several fellowships were led through the process of reinvesting remaining resources to enable new churches to reach their communities with the hope of the Gospel.
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