MACON – Church growth is not always easy to identify. Nickels and noses are easiest to count, but numbers may not reveal the full story. First Baptist, Macon, like many other churches, hasn’t seen a revival, at least if revival means overflow crowds. But according to Pastor Phil Bray, the church continues to trust in the power of God’s Word to make old men new and transform believers into the image of Christ.
Over the last two years, FBC Macon has faced the same challenges as other churches in Missouri and beyond. A global pandemic, shifting demographics, cultural tension, and bitter political discourse are just a few of the obstacles the church has had to navigate. The pandemic forced the church to shift its thinking on how to disciple its people and reach its community. As the church had to rely more heavily on digital ministry, the staff rose to the occasion.
“When the shutdown happened, we had one week to get live-stream capable,” Bray said.
“The leader of our communications ministry, Patty Dill, got us up to live-streaming almost immediately. She did an amazing job.”
Pastor Bray and Associate Pastor Sam Owens made videos on themes related to the pandemic, such as overcoming fear and trusting God. Worship Pastor John Snider worked hard to ensure the congregation could experience quality music, even in an online format. Bray also praised Snider for his work with senior adults, saying that he did an excellent job staying connected with them.
“I’m so thankful for my staff,” Bray said.
As COVID lingered, FBC Macon experienced an all-too-familiar pattern. Engagement in online ministry waned over time. People felt a deep longing for in-person fellowship.
“People got sick and tired of online everything. Over time, we gradually pushed the family towards normalcy. We tried to be gentle and gracious. But we need to be together,” Bray said.
Reflecting on COVID, Bray remarked that the response of some revealed a shallowness that had been hiding beneath the surface all along.
“COVID exposed that Christianity is not an event, but a life. Suddenly, when we couldn’t gather, we couldn’t meet together, we saw that,” Bray noted.
“I feel that, for many, Christianity had been reduced to meeting once a week rather than following Jesus and emulating him in every facet of our lives.”
Bray believes the challenge for the future will be for the church to learn to abide more deeply in Christ and commit to living out the Word of God. Bray’s passion is to help the people of FBC Macon apply God’s Word directly to their lives.
“The church needs a steady diet of Bible,” Bray said. “The key is to understand what God said, but also to understand why God said it.”
The church continues to use all the digital tools at their disposal, including an online program called “SermonChat” where Bray provides further concrete application based on the Sunday message. Bray also noted that several church groups meet during the week, including men’s and women’s groups, senior adult groups, and small groups that gather in homes.
“What we’re doing here isn’t flashy, I suppose,” Bray said. “The Lord has opened my eyes to realize that he just calls us to shepherd faithfully the people he places in our care.”
“I exist to help others know and love Jesus. The Lord has been so kind to me, so kind, and I just want to be faithful,” Bray said.
On the other side of COVID, the mission of FBC Macon remains the same, according to Bray. The church’s mission is to make disciples whose lives look more and more like Jesus.
“We strive for long obedience in the same direction and trust Him with the results.”
In other words, at FBC Macon, the church continues to grow.