I grew up going to church from the time I was very young in Denison, Tx. My church home was First Baptist Church. The building was traditional looking with thirty-feet-stained glass windows running from front to back on either side that shared Old and New Testament pictures. There were three isles in the church with a wide stage, where the pastoral staff sat, with a choir loft separated by a wooden modesty rail. The building seated 500 people on the main floor and another 200 in the balcony. As a child it was a massive structure. As an adult it was still a large facility.
Growing up in that church there were a few squabbles that happened. We had a vote on keeping a pastor who had gotten crossways with some of the congregation. Following the vote some folks left. A few years later another situation with a staff member led to others leaving.
By the time the dust settled the church was down to less than 100 people. I remember coming back to that church when I was home from college during that time. I sat in that huge building with a few people scattered across it. I remember looking at the vaulted ceiling in the back above the balcony and seeing the water stains of a persistent leak in the roof. That picture in a nutshell portrayed the condition of the church. They were stained and did not have enough funds or people to keep the building up nor care for the community.
It was at that time that a church across town was running out of space. They were overcrowded in their existing sanctuary. The staff was doing a great job but there was honestly no more room for the congregation. The Director of Missions at the time began having conversations with both congregations. He shared with FBC that there was an opportunity for their congregation that was stuck to continue. He shared with the growing congregation that there might be a chance for them to partner with a church that needed a growing congregation to merge with them. Prayers and conversations continued to happen. Ultimately, it was decided that Hyde Park Baptist Church at the time would merge with FBC and be called FBC. Once the two congregations merged great things began to happen at FBC Denison.
Recently, our own association has benefited from a merger that happened in Roanoke. In this case First Baptist Church pastored by Dr. Bruce Barber was stuck. He had identified that while his church was doing similar things that other churches did their church was not growing. He began having conversations with the SBTC about Revitalization. He and other key leaders started going through a process called “Regenesis.” Through this process and while reading the book Better Together Making Church Merges Work, they began thinking about the future legacy of the church.
During this study, Bruce met James Sercey the pastor of Cross and Crown Church in Roanoke. This church was a church plant that had been started 18 months ago in an elementary school. Bruce and James got to know each other. They began to see that both were asking a similar question of how the kingdom could be expanded in Roanoke. Through these conversations they became friends and began to share with their key leaders about the future.
This led to face-to-face conversations with key leaders from both churches. Questions were asked and answered by both parties and churches. Prayer times were held by both churches in seeking God’s will. Ultimately it was decided that each church would vote on the merging of the two. On the Sunday that the vote happened both congregations sensed the leadership of God for the two to become one congregation with the purpose of expanding the kingdom of God in Roanoke. On October 6, 2024, First Baptist Church, Roanoke celebrated 150 years of ministry and on October 20 that legacy continued in Roanoke as two churches merged into one called Cross and Crown.
On Tuesday May 6 at 11:30 am our association will gather to hear Bruce and James’ story about their merger at our quarterly Executive Board meeting. We will gather at 209 N. Pine Street to eat a Babe’s Fried Chicken meal, look at the financial status of the DBA and most importantly hear how God worked in these two churches to make a greater impact on Roanoke. I hope you can come and hear them. Click on the link to sign up and join us.