WILMINGTON, N.C. (ABP) -- A prayer meeting hosted by a non-church member and featuring speaking in tongues, anointing with oil and the blowing of a ram’s horn might not seem like the typical turning point in the history of a respectable, 200-year-old congregation like First Baptist Church of Wilmington, N.C.
But that’s what happened at a critical juncture in the church’s efforts to take a leap of faith and open a huge new center for church and community ministries. And church leaders are glad they didn’t dismiss the idea out of hand.
Jayne Davis, an associate pastor at the host church, leads a session on spiritual formation.They told the story to make the point -- during a session at the Oct. 22-23 Hopeful Imagination conference -- that congregations should look for ways to make ministry opportunities happen, rather than enumerating reasons why they can’t do it.
The church had been engaged in controversial negotiations to buy the old New Hanover County Jail building, bidding $1 million for the property. A local developer put in an upset bid, but miscalculated and offered $50 less than the necessary amount. Nevertheless, county commissioners decided not to honor the church’s bid.
An elderly African-American woman named Evelina Williams called First Baptist Pastor Mike Queen one day to tell him that her prayer group was praying for the church to get the building and turn it “from a place of incarceration to a place of redemption.” She invited him to her group’s next meeting.
When Queen went, he walked into a house with ladies singing, praying and speaking in tongues. After a while, Williams prayed and anointed him with oil. He put his face in her lap and wept.
Later, Williams called Queen and told him that the church was going to get the building. When an election changed the make-up of the board, county commissioners voted 3-2 to sell the building to the church.
Queen called Williams to tell her the church had the building. After a long silence, she said, “Didn’t I already tell you that?”
Later, Williams called Queen to tell him that the Lord told her the church was going to get the money to fund the purchase from one person. Soon, a local businessman named Bobby Harrelson gave the money in honor of his late wife.
When Queen told Williams the news about the gift, she said, “Oh, Lord, when is he ever going to learn?”
Williams had a previous connection to First Baptist. She was in a congregation that met in the church’s activities center after their own building burned. When the church dedicated its new facility, Queen attended. Williams saw him there before she called him.
Jayne Davis, minister of spiritual formation at First Baptist, asked what might have happened if the congregation had not let the other church use its activities center or if Queen hadn’t gone to the dedication service or if he had politely declined Williams’ offer to attend the prayer meeting.
Jim Everette, the associate pastor at First Baptist, said the church gives its members permission to minister.
“We provide resources and encouragement and get out of the way and let God do what God’s going to do,” he said.
For example, members of a Sunday school class for high-school boys told their teacher they wanted to start doing ministry instead of just learning about it. Now, they feed people who stand in line before a local shelter opens.
A member started a prayer-shawl ministry. Now pastors visiting hospital patients often hear stories about how much the shawls meant to them.
The staff labored to kick-start a jail ministry. But it didn’t take off until a lay member took the lead. Church members not only visit the prisoners, they form relationships with them.
Wanda Porter, who serves in the jail ministry, became close to a 16-year-old girl charged with killing her boyfriend. During one of their conversations, the girl said, “You know, Miss Wanda, you’re the only person in the world who loves me.”
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Steve DeVane is a freelance writer in Lillington, N.C.
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