A church planting story

This update is from GCI-USA regional pastor Ted Johnston.

It was my pleasure and privilege to participate in a worship service on October 5 in which Rannie Childress was installed as the senior pastor of the newly-chartered GCI church in Attalla, Alabama (congratulations, Rannie!). Also participating were district pastor Dennis Wheatcroft, former district pastor Tom Mahan and Rannie’s former pastor Bob Miller. Our thanks to each of these pastors for their role in preparing Rannie for his new responsibility.

You may recall Rannie’s story from an earlier Update post. This post continues that story, telling now how God led GCI Birmingham pastor Bob Miller to partner with Rannie and other members in first starting a Bible study, then planting the new church in the town of Attalla, east of Birmingham. A primary focus throughout has been to minister to men in nearby residential addiction-recovery programs. The story is told by Bob and Rannie in the video embedded below. By way of background, here are excerpts from what Bob wrote recently in his Birmingham church newsletter:

The Attalla church plant became a chartered congregation of GCI on September 11, 2013. It will be called New Outlook Christian Fellowship…. When I reflect back on how all of this came about, it’s an amazing story. We were trying to meet a need and were not following any carefully thought-out plan. It’s a though we were being carried along by the Spirit to an unknown destination… Our GCI church planting motto is: All kinds of churches for all kinds of people in all kinds of places. Three years ago Grace Covenant Fellowship (and a year later, Good Hope Community Church) began providing financial support for a worship service in a community called Hokes Bluff. We had no idea what might develop from this mission outreach… [though we] wanted to reach out and serve men who were in drug and alcohol recovery programs. God blessed those efforts, and in April the church moved to Attalla—a much closer location for those in recovery to attend…. Little did Rannie and I know 24 years ago when we first met—in prison—that we would one day serve in ministry together—let alone raise up a new church. We feel humbled and honored to be a part of this process.

Posted on YouTube at http://youtu.be/VeJtebW5Xag

Our thanks to Bob, Rannie and the other members of the congregations who sacrificially parented this new church. You have faithfully followed where the Spirit led. We are excited to think about what God will yet do in and through the Attalla church.