12.12.10
Ridge Road Baptist Church Annual Letter
To the Saints in Christ Jesus at Ridge Road Baptist Church,
The close of the year and the start of a new provide each of us with an opportunity to reflect on what God has done in our midst over the past several months, as well as examine ourselves and inventory the victories and failures that should serve to shape us in the days to come. In this letter I’ve endeavored to take some small account of what God has wrought in our midst over the course of two-thousand and ten. I humbly submit it to you in the hopes that you’ll be reminded that there is a big picture and a great cause of which we’re each a part; in spite of whatever trials we’ve known we can certainly look back over this year and see that the God of all grace is very much at work in our midst.
Remembering
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. Deuteronomy 8:2
Enduring
Each year presents unique experiences, both good and bad, but I must say that the year 2010 began with a trial, a wilderness experience if you will the likes of which I’ve personally never passed through before. In truth, the gravest part of the “storm” associated with the proposal and approval of our current Constitution and By-Laws had already passed as we began the year. On the sixth of January the church body voted to approve a new Constitution and By-Laws. In addition to embracing a number of oversight and administrative practices that had been in use for some months, it also ended Ridge Road Baptist Church’s long time relationship to the Southern Baptist Convention. We are, in its purest historical sense, a completely autonomous local Baptist church, independent of all ecclesiastical or denominational affiliations. This transition came fast upon the heels of an awkward controversy regarding church music, and sadly for us all, many that had long called Ridge Road home made the determination to walk no more with us. This was a season of unparalleled trial for me personally (as well as many of you) – a genuine wilderness experience that served to humble and prove me. I am grateful to be able to say that this difficult time served to teach me new lessons of God’s special grace and faithfulness. With the faithful and true that have weathered the storm and stayed by the stuff, the Lord has forged something that is precious and I am exceedingly grateful to be among you.
Two-thousand and ten marked fifty years since Ridge Road Baptist Church first constituted in to a church. For over fifty-years now this community has had the presence of a caring, gospel-preaching local church. We’d do well to honor those that have had an extended part in this great work. Special thanks to the following families that have provided a true legacy of faith in their long-term faithfulness to Ridge Road:
Caylop and Elizabeth Minchew – 50 years and 36 years respectively
Idelle Lowery – 48 years
Louis and Evelyn Burnham – 43 years
Jim and Barbara Blosser – 39 and 41 years respectively
Arden Cooper – 31 years
Ernie and Shirley Jerkins and family – 25 years
Michael and Betty Johnson and family – 20 years
This year we provided the funds through our faith promise missions giving to construct a small home for orphans in the country of Vietnam. This orphan home will be dedicated to “Caylop Minchew and friends at Ridge Road”. Special thanks to Bro. Caylop, for fifty years of faithful service.
Edifying
While the start of the year brought about some pruning, the year as a whole has been one of great spiritual edification. We were privileged to have Evangelist/Potter David Engesath for a one-day meeting in January. In February of this year we had Pastor James Knox at Ridge Road. He covered the book of Philippians over three nights and it was a great encouragement to our hearts. We were blessed to have Pastor Ron Ralph back again this year for our annual Missions Conference (more on that in a moment). We conducted our first ever “Music School” with the glowing and talented David Armistead. We kicked off a tremendous Fall Revival with Bro. Joe Rutkowski, and had the pleasure of hearing from Pastor Tim Fellure for four nights of help and conviction. For Homecoming we enjoyed the good singing of the Carron Family and the always-refreshing preaching of Bro. Roger Grandstaff.
From the pulpit, we completed a study on “Hebrews 11” (Mike Stone), “Rightly Dividing the Word” and “The Old Paths”. The Lord especially moved upon our church family this year in regards to Prayer and Evangelism. The ten-lesson study on Prayer brought by Bro. Roger helped and challenged every hearer. Many in our midst have armed themselves with soul-winning testaments and techniques through a study on Soul-Winning. The Lord brought us through a series of sermons in April on “Rebuilding the Walls,” and we continue to plod through the holy ground of the Book of Exodus each Wednesday night. One of the highlights of the year for me was the summer-time Home Bible Study that my family was able to host, in which we covered the subject of Spirituality in the Home. The Lord brought about some conviction and confirmation in many of our hearts as we sought out his order for the family from the word of the Lord.
We hosted the first semester of the Ridge Road Bible Institute beginning in September. We were able to offer the Gospel of John, Old Testament Survey – taught by Bro. Roger Grandstaff, and Manuscript Evidence – taught by Pastor Tom Johnston.
January of the New Year will mark one year since Bro. Kyle Cinereski joined our staff on an official basis as the Assistant Pastor. Bro. Kyle and Ms. Kim are so special to Ridge Road and we are grateful for their commitment to Ridge Road, and their hard work in ministering to our teenagers and making the music a blessing.
We had the joy of baptizing eleven folks over the course of the year. We congratulate Tristan Bell, Bo McCall, Ashley McCall, Alex O’Keene, Jacob Grandstaff, Lydia Grandstaff, Rebecca Grandstaff, Noah Cadenhead, Redda White, Cathy Sue Jernigan, and Leon Lambert on making this important step in their Christian life.
I had the privilege of performing wedding ceremonies this year for Bo and Ashley McCall and Randy and Dianne Inmon. Praise the Lord for this thing called marriage!
We welcomed some precious children in to the world over the course of the year. We rejoice to get to watch Alivia Smith and Ali Brooke Jerkins grow up in our midst.
We had the sad occasion of laying to rest longtime church member Catherine Sheehan. We do not sorrow, however, as others who have no hope, having the confidence that this good lady is in heaven by way of the blood of Christ.
We are grateful to have some wonderful families that have joined our ranks on official terms over the course of 2010. We were glad for the additions of the Hardy Family, the Smith (Shannon) Family, and the Hasselbrink family.
Evangelizing
Two-thousand and ten represented our most aggressive year of evangelism to date. Following is a brief accounting of the annual “event-outreach” efforts undertaken this year.
§ Christmas Parade (2009) – This was nearly cancelled due to flooding, but was brought together in the end, and once again, this proved to be our biggest (non-mailing) outreach of the year in terms of the volume of literature distributed.
§ Baseball/Softball Outreach – We were privileged to feed, tract, and preach to around 150 young people, plus college athletes and parents. This was a tremendous success and had excellent participation.
§ Community Invite Outreach – This was the most well attended outreach of the year with thirty souls pitching in.
§ Speedway Outreach – We didn’t have any literature turned down and we got to give the gospel (in prayer) to the whole group in the pit.
§ Airport Outreach – This is the first year we’ve done this outreach and it was an excellent success with great participation.
§ Blueberry Festival – With over a thousand tracts distributed in a few hours, this continues to be one of our staple tracting efforts in the year.
§ Direct Mailing – This year we took a shot at countering the zealous efforts of the Watchtower Society in our community. Over 2,600 mailings went out with a pamphlet on the Jehovah’s Witness cult and a simple gospel tract.
§ Yard Signs – It was a pleasure to see the area peppered with “Jesus Christ” signs amidst the standard election-year political signs.
§ Football Outreach – Most of those attending W.S. Neal’s Homecoming got a gospel booklet while entering the game.
§ Halloween Outreach – This was pulled together by Shannon and Stefanie and wound up being a great outreach with a lot of participation, and everybody having a very good time as the light of Christ went out amidst the paganism and devilment of one of Satan’s favorite holidays.
§ Speedway Outreach (Second) – We had nineteen folks brave the cold and got many tracts in to the hands of race-goers.
I’d estimate that within the year 2010 we’ve manage to mail or distribute somewhere around 12,000 pieces of literature. To God be the Glory.
The Jail ministry is one of the most blessed and fruitful efforts of Ridge Road Baptist Church. With the exception of the week of Bible Conference, Ridge Road Baptist Church was represented in the Escambia County Detention Center in a ministry capacity every week of 2010. Many weeks ladies from Ridge Road were also present to minister to the women’s side. For the men, Bro. Roger Grandstaff has headed this ministry up for most of the year with the help of Bro. Freddie McCall. We’ve seen many souls saved as a result of this outreach and there has been an excellent interest among many of the inmates in the discipleship lessons that we make available. We’ve probably distributed 75 or more Bibles to men that earned them by the completion of the first lesson. Some of the men have actually gone on to complete all twenty discipleship lessons. We were able to conduct two special meetings this year in which we were permitted to go from pod to pod and preach to the entire male population of the facility. Bro. Kyle Joe Hicks preached the second meeting, a three-day revival, with a high attendance of over fifty. We thank God for the tremendous open door that exists at the Escambia County Detention Center.
“The Road to Glory” radio broadcast changed homes in 2010 and began broadcasting on 90.1 FM WTJT Baker weekdays at 8:15am. We also added a program to the local WEBJ 1240AM. We’ve gotten some very positive feedback from the WTJT program in particular, and we’re grateful that the Lord has opened this door and seen fit to bless our small effort.
The street ministry has continued throughout the year each and every Friday at the corner of Highway 41 and 31. I am very grateful for the help of my family, the Grandstaffs, the Hardy’s, and the Smith’s in this much needed effort. The community has begun to take notice of our faithfulness, and you would likely be surprised at the positive feedback that we receive from this ministry. To my knowledge, there was only one Friday in 2010 when there was no one on the corner (and that was the day it snowed).
In the last few months a regular door-to-door visitation ministry spontaneously materialized as we discharge our debt to the Greeks and Barbarians, wise and unwise along the Ridge Road. The Lord fashioned this effort and he has already blessed it with some souls being saved. The harvest truly is plenteous and the laborers are few.
On the first Sunday in May we made our second ever Faith Promise for missions. To my amazement, the final calculation arrived at $56,900 promised to God for the purpose of missions! Halleluiah! At present, we are slated to meet that goal. We were privileged to make the acquaintance of eleven different missionaries and church-planters over the course of the year and I’m glad to report that we took most of them on for monthly support.
Below is a list of a missionaries and ministries that we currently support financially on a monthly basis: [(d) indicates that they are on deputation]
| 1. xxxxxxxxxxxx – Israel
2. xxxxxxxxxxx – China 3. Stephen Holt – Sierra Leone 4. Mike Dobbins – Zambia 5. Kenneth Murphy – Germany 6. Rick Wiles – Ukraine 7. Steve Schlechty – Scripture Signs 8. Joshua Stokes – Spain (d) 9. John Byer – Alberta, Canada (d) 10. Buck Woodworth – Guyana (d) 11. Tyler Masters – North Africa 12. xxxxxxxxxxx – Cuba 13. Jason Young – Australia 14. Mike Gibson – St. Lucia |
15. Cameron Harris – Peru (d)
16. xxxxxxxxxxx – Vietnam 17. Andy Hearn – Nepal 18. Mike Fluech – Malawi 19. John Pinnix – Alaska 20. Dan Jalowiec – Zambia (d) 21. David Haveman – Tonga 22. xxxxxxxxxx – China 23. Chad Well – Papua New Guinea 24. Matthew Mooberry – Brazil (d) 25. xxxxxxxxxxxx — Israel (d) 26. Marvelous Grace Girls Academy 27. European Missionary Press 28. Victory Baptist Press |
In midst of minor discouragements and financial uncertainty I am exceedingly grateful to report that our church has managed to keep the main thing the main thing and continue getting out the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is worthy.
Reaching
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14
Looking Ahead
As we look toward another year of service to the Lord, we’ve prepared a calendar full of great events fashioned to build us up inwardly and put us to work outwardly.
Edification: Within our Ridge Road church family we’re preparing to continue to perfect the saints, equip those saints for ministry, and thereby edify the body of Christ. This goal has been central in our calendar planning and we have a host of meetings and events prepared to further that purpose. We’ve got four great meetings planned for 2011. The New Year marks the 400th anniversary of our beloved King James Bible. We’ll kick off the year with a King James Bible Conference that will include multiple Bible-believing Pastors and Preachers from around our area. Pastor Ron Ralph will be back with us in the spring for our third annual Faith-Promise Missions Conference, along with some fine young missionaries. In conjunction with a Jail Revival in August, we’re looking forward to hosting Evangelist (and Spirit-filled wild man) Earl Ankrom for a four-day Summer Revival. Finally in November we’re scheduled to have one of America’s finest Bible-believing writers and evangelists, Dr. Samuel Gipp, with us for a four day meeting.
We’re looking forward to our staple annual in-reach events from the Pancake Supper to the Fish Fry. We also have some family outings planned that we haven’t done before including a Family Day at Camp Victory in Hacoda, Alabama in the spring. We’re planning on conducting a small kid’s camp over the summer, as well as some additional children’s events over the course of the year. Bro. Kyle has prepared another full year of events for our teenagers, and Ms. Betty has some great events prepared for the Ladies Care Group.
All of these special meetings and events have been developed with the spiritual growth and unity of our church family in mind. In the grand scheme of things they will cost the individuals participating very little, but they will provide an incalculable spiritual benefit to those that participate.
We can eagerly look forward to these special opportunities, but we’d do well to bear in mind that a series of special meetings and group events do not constitute the backbone of the ministry of Ridge Road Baptist Church. The center of the ministry is the pulpit: Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. There would be no ministry if the word of God did not go forth in power week in and week out. Pray that we will continually hear from heaven and have our hearts stirred to live for Jesus Christ as we hear his precious word preached.
Evanglelization: We’ll continue to strive to do our part to propagate the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Year, both at home and abroad. We’ve got a year full of public evangelistic outreaches planned; plenty for everyone to be involved in something. We have a huge supply of scripture fans for use in the summer-time outreaches, and we’ve also produced a high-quality personalize church tract for use in our community. We already have new missionaries scheduled to share their work with the church, in addition to the upcoming Faith Promise Missions Conference. The radio ministry, jail ministry, and street ministry are full-steam ahead as we seek to preach the gospel in every available local venue. “Missions” is not the task of a select few, it the responsibility of the entire church. Let us be faithful to the services and meetings of the church, but let us not forget our responsibility to “Go”. Don’t just be a reservoir, be a channel!
The grand hope of evangelism is not simply the participation of church members and the distribution of literature, but the conversion of sinners. What brought about the rapid growth of the early church was not a group of specially trained clergy, but droves of personally convicted Christians that were not ashamed of the gospel. If you’ve never led a soul to Jesus Christ, 2011 would be a great year to do so for the first time. The Lord assembled a door-to-door effort over the course of the last few months, but the task is great and we need more workers to undertake this outreach.
Innovation: The Lord has blessed us with many new and growing converts that would greatly benefit from personal discipleship. At one time we had a number of people going through one-on-one, one-on-two, or small group discipleship courses. This standard has fallen over the last year and we need a revival of discipleship. We also have a number of well versed disciples that could use additional instruction in preparation to teach others – this is the role of the Bible Institute classes. Beginning in January we will continue the Ridge Road Bible Institute, but we will move to just one night a week. We’re working on developing a plan to provide child-care on the night of Bible-institute to facilitate greater participation in both Bible Institute and one-on-one.
We’ve long had a desire to re-grade the Sunday School and break up in to smaller classes. Perhaps this will come to fruition in the coming year. Pray that we might have some leadership and direction of the Lord in this matter and that the right teachers (children and upward) would materialize.
As we pray and dream of ways to improve the ministry here at Ridge Road, let us be mindful of the need for church transportation. We have people that could work this ministry and the need is there for people to get a ride to church, the only thing we’re missing is a bus. The Lord can easily provide this, but he’ll have to do so over and above our regular offerings and missions giving.
Looking Around
Multiplication: With the latest pruning behind us, it’s time for Ridge Road to experience some new growth. There’s long existed a need in this community (as in every community) for a church of our stripe that puts missions and evangelism foremost, takes a stand against sin and compromise, and believes and preaches the King James Bible without apology. Surely there are families within Brewton and its outlying areas that need a place like Ridge Road Baptist Church to get plugged-in. Little is much, when God is in it, but new growth means more families get help, more tracts get distributed, and more missionaries get supported. We’ve gone to great lengths to lay a solid, Bible-believing foundation, and now is the time to begin to build upon it.
Supplication: The thing that would most powerfully affect the Lord’s work at Ridge Road is our church joining together in corporate prayer. Not every ministry calls for every person’s participation, but the ministry of prayer is every believer’s responsibility and the ministry of prayer is every believer’s privilege. We have a brief, workable time set apart weekly for corporate prayer (Sunday’s at 5:30 PM). The only thing we’re missing is most of our church members. It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer…
Participation: As we consider the year to come the key to the success of the meetings, ministries, and outreaches will be participation:
- Imagine what the Lord would do in our midst if we enjoyed one-hundred percent participation in corporate prayer. Do we believe in the power of prayer?
- Imagine the impression upon our community if every church member found one ongoing ministry or 2-3 outreach events in which to be involved in.
- Imagine if every family in our church faithfully attended the missions conference and obeyed the leadership of the Lord in their participation in faith promise missions. Do we want to see more missionaries go to the foreign mission field?
- Consider the impact if every person in our church completed some form of personal discipleship with another believer. Do we desire to see saints perfected?
- Consider the incredible results that would come from every man in our church leading his family in family worship and devotions at least once a week. Do we want to see our families stay together?
- Consider the eternal difference that would be made if every member of Ridge Road Baptist Church led at least one sinner to Jesus Christ in 2011. Do we believe in a place called hell?
- Can we even fathom the joy and unity that would be produced if every believer in our assembly read the Bible through in a year and consistently prayed for one another?
These imaginations and considerations are not a ridiculous utopia that can never be realized. They paint a picture of the local church as Christ intended it.
Looking Up
Anticipation: What if we just begin to do our part right now? We can embark on a new year with great hope that God is for us, that the Lord Jesus Christ is with us, that the Bible is still sharper than any two-edged sword, that the gospel is still the power of God unto salvation, and that the church is still God’s chosen instrument to bring glory to Himself. Let us press toward the mark knowing that the Lord God of Elijah is still on the throne, still saving souls, and still manifesting His presence among His people. Hitherto hath the Lord helped us, but seeing as his arm is not shortened we can look forward to more help and greater blessing yet. May we march in to 2011 with the blessed hope of Christ’s soon coming; this could be the year we see Christ! In the mean time, may he find us faithful to occupy until he come.
On a personal note: September marked our fifth year at Ridge Road Baptist Church. Going in to this New Year I will hold the unique distinction of the second longest pastorate in Ridge Road’s fifty years of ministry (the founding pastor was here for 17 years). Of late, I have found myself remarking, “I can’t believe these people pay me to do this.” And I can’t. And I realize you don’t have to. Words can not express the great privilege that is mine to pastor this church. I love you, I pray for you, and it’s my sincere desire to be a better pastor to each of your families. I want to thank you for having me, for praying for me, and for otherwise just putting up with me. I’m looking forward to continue serving along side you in the months and years ahead.
In Christ’s Service,
Bro. Lee
