The Bible Methodist Connection of Churches

Alabama
Conference

Church Expansion Department

Bland, VA | Columbus, GA | Salina, KS | Dayton, TN

Bland Bible Methodist Church

6688 East Blue Grass Trail, Bland, VA 24315

Pastor Nathan & Lynnette Walter

6710 E Blue Grass Trail, Bland, VA 24315
Phone (H): 276-688-4868; Phone (C): 276-266-7330
ndwalter@cleaninter.net

We are praising the Lord for providing a pastor and family for the Bland BMC! Rev. & Mrs. Nathan Walter moved from Spring Mills, PA, to Bland, VA, on Tuesday, September 13, 2011. Pastor's sister and her husband, Jenny & Josh Neidermyer, greatly assisted in the move and remained with them for about a week, helping them get settled, putting flooring in the attic for storage, and just trying to be a blessing. Their large family boosted the attendance the first Sunday morning to 32, and everyone had a good day for their first Sunday together.

Pastor Nathan & Lynnette Walter

The Walter Family

L to R, Front row: Darrin, 2; Pastor Walter, Rebecca, 11;

Susannah, 8; Lynnette;

L to R, Back row: Rachelle, 12; Stephanie, 15

Pastor Nathan Walter, a 4th-generation preacher, has a rich Christian heritage. His grandfather, his father and he himself have mostly ministered within the God’s Missionary conference.

In 1995, he married Lynnette Roberts and received his preacher’s license. In 1997, he graduated from Penn View Bible Institute as a Ministerial major and began pastoring at a little home missionary effort in Butler, PA, for God’s Missionary Church. After five and a half years there, they accepted the pastorate in Rebersburg, PA, a country church which was also a part of the God’s Missionary conference. After seven years of ministry there, God directed them to a time of seeking Him and finding renewal as they worked in different aspects of the local farming community for the next two years.

As they experienced spiritual growth and strengthening, they were eager to return to pastoring and thus made themselves available to pastor again in spring of 2011. When God opened the door to the Bible Methodist Church in Bland, VA, they were committed and confident to follow His will.

Beautiful Bland area scenery

Unloading Moving Truck

Part of the Pastor's Welcome Pounding

--- Photos from a recent Sunday ---

Bro Jack Blankenship teaching Sunday School

The Youth class

Bro Harold Gillespie with some of the Walter children

The Bland Church family

--- A Recent Children's Missionary Band service ---

Stephanie leads singing

Amber sings

Rebecca tells a missions story

Rachelle teaches a Memory Verse

Aaron plays the offertory

Sis Cheryl Gillespie gives a missions update

Aaron leads a Sword Drill

The congregation exits the church

--- Another new item at the church ---

On Pastor Walter's first Monday, he received word that the men were coming to re-upholster the pews. It had been planned for several weeks, but they came his first week. Below is a picture of the new look, although the color is quite similar to the old one. Pastor Walter reports that the contractor was good to work with and his men worked hard, finishing the job in about a day and a half. The new pews were ready in time for Wednesday prayer meeting!

Newly repadded pews

Bro. Hedstrom visited Bland October 8-11 to conduct a pastor installation and hold a business meeting. After that, the Walters are planning to be busy learning all the new aspects of ministry in Bland and getting settled into their new home. Already Pastor Walter has expressed how wonderful it is to have such a great place to pastor.

Welcome, Walter family! We are thankful that God called you--and that you answered!--to minister in Bland. We pray God's blessing on your ministry there.

For additional info, visit our church website, www.blandbmc.com!

Faith Bible Methodist Church

5506 Armour Road, Columbus, GA 31909

Pastor Paul & Vonda Brown

Pastor Paul Brown (cell): 334-419-2326
Vonda Brown (cell): 334-419-8090

Email:

Pastor & Mrs. Paul Brown

As you may have seen in a previous newsletter and/or a recent article in “The Bible Methodist,” after a prolonged and unsuccessful search for a pastor for the Faith Bible Methodist Church in Columbus, GA, the Church Expansion board and the Conference Executive board together considered various options before deciding to close the church and sell the property. Subsequently, the property was listed with a local realtor, and prayers were made that a buyer would materialize. In the hearts of each board member, however, something still hoped to see the Lord provide a pastor and congregation to revive the church.

Although for a time we did not see God working, He certainly was. No less than three groups were interested in purchasing the property, but the sale could not be made because the bank wouldn't lend the money. Also, God was challenging two men to invest their time and efforts to this church. Now we believe that God has indeed intervened and led us to reopen Faith Bible Methodist Church!

The department appreciates and thanks Rev. & Mrs. Curtis Going for the three years they invested into Faith Church. The Goings moved out of the parsonage the first week in June to relocate to and pastor Grace Holiness Church on Harkers Island, NC. Brother Curtis will maintain his credentials with the AL conference.

We also appreciate Tommy Boggs for tending to and keeping an eye on the property during the year the church was inactive. Thank you, Tommy!

While nothing appeared to be happening to revive Faith Church, God was at work. Paul Brown and his first wife lived in Stanton, AL. After she passed away, he married Vonda Elam, a member of the Ada Chapel Bible Methodist Church. Vonda gained a husband, and the church gained an Adult Sunday school teacher!

Recently, Paul, now retired and in his 70’s, was praying to determine how he could especially serve the Lord and make a difference in people’s lives. The plight of the Faith Bible Methodist Church weighed heavily on his heart since his daughter, Sheila, and his grandchildren, as well as several friends, live in the Columbus area. He wanted them to have a holiness church to attend. As he prayed, he surrendered to God to offer to fill in as pastor of the church for a year, during which time a pastor might be located. Paul had a plan: he could sell his house in Stanton, maintain their house in Ada Chapel, and live in Columbus! The next step was to contact Conference President Hedstrom.

Because the church property was still under contract with the realtor, Brother Brown’s offer couldn’t immediately be accepted. They agreed to pray about the situation and see how God should lead.

Rev. Hedstrom was also in contact with Dr. Michael Williams, superintendent of the Central Yearly Meeting of Friends headquartered in Muncie, IN, a long-time pastor, and Dean of Academic Affairs at Union Bible College. Dr. Williams plans, upon retirement, to move to the Columbus, GA, area to be near his family, other relatives, and many friends. In his early years of pastoring, Dr. Williams pastored the Sanctified Church in Columbus. Would he be willing to pastor Faith Church? Yes, but he would not be able to come until June 2012.

Dr. & Mrs. Michael Williams

Rev. Hedstrom contacted Paul Brown to see if his offer still stood. It did! Finally all the pieces fit together! With the banks denying loans to the interested buyers, time ending on the contract with the realtor, Paul Brown filling in for one year, and Dr. Williams retiring and moving a year later, reopening the church was possible!

Paul & Vonda Brown moved into the Columbus parsonage on June 7, where they will stay through May 31, 2012. Each Sunday, two services will be held, one at 10:30 AM and another at 2:00 PM, with a fellowship meal in between. This arrangement will minimize travel for Pastor Brown’s daughter and grandchildren as well as accommodate people who attend other churches but are interested in supporting Faith Church.

The church reopened on Father's Day, Sunday, June 19, with 10 people attending. Following service, some people passing by on the highway noticed cars in the parking lot and stopped to ask if the church was re-opening. They said they would come back and visit the next Sunday!

Please pray for the Browns as they shoulder their new responsibilities and adjust to new surroundings. They plan to pursue several outreach opportunities—more about that later. We also ask that you pray for Vonda’s health. She’s on dialysis, a 9-hour ordeal several nights per week, and has her name on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. The Browns do not have internet access at home, but you may encourage them with a phone call.

The Church Expansion department is so grateful for the Browns to stand in the gap to keep the church operating until Dr. & Mrs. Williams can arrive. God willing, the Williamses will move to Columbus the second week of June, 2012. They plan to purchase land in the area on which to build a house.

With Fort Benning (U.S. Army base) nearby, outreach opportunities abound, and Dr. Williams already has some experience under his belt. When he pastored in the area earlier, he conversed with various soldiers he met and invited them to a home-cooked Sunday dinner, something most soldiers can’t refuse! The only requirement was for the soldiers to attend the morning church service. In this way, Pastor Williams was able to minister to many soldiers and their families.

Outreach opportunities will only increase with the influx of 30,000 additional soldiers scheduled during 2011-2012! Formerly enlisted soldiers are sharing ideas with Bro. Hedstrom about how to connect with incoming soldiers and their families.

Rejoice and be glad with us. God has done great things! Pray for us. He wants to do even greater things for us!

Visit our new website, faithbmc.com, and share it with anyone you know in the Columbus area and any Army personnel/families wherever they are!

Salina Bible Methodist Church

1506 Beverly Street, Salina, KS 67401

Pastor Todd & Marla Hurst

610 West State Street, Salina, KS 67401

785-452-9453
TaMeHurst@juno.com

The Todd Hurst and Eric Buck families

The Eric Buck family

Recently the Eric Buck family (Elizabeth, Kezia and Brennan) moved from Albuquerque, NM, to Salina, KS. Bro. Buck had been pastoring there, but he felt God leading him in a different direction. He has devoted much time to the study of apologetics especially in the area of Creation. Since his coming to our church, he has been presenting the truth about Creation during our Wednesday evening services. What a rich blessing and great encouragement these presentations have been to our church!

Dayton, TN

Dayton Bible Methodist Church

Church is located four miles N of Dayton on US 27,

Northbrook Subdivision