CARL JUNCTION – In 2022, the legacy of First Baptist Church Carl Junction was in danger. They’d experienced a slow but steady decline with an aging membership. Their history was rich—the church was founded in 1882—and they had some great resources, such as a large building. However, baptisms and new members were rare. Some members, like Charles Culbertson, sought opportunities for outreach elsewhere due to lack of opportunity in their own church. Charles and his wife, Ann, loved FBC, but it was clear to them (and to the leadership) that something needed to change.
Nearby, a young church plant was thriving but struggling to find a space. They’d moved locations multiple times, always outgrowing it. Rooted Church was full of families and young believers.
The lead pastors of the two churches, Rodney Rambo of Rooted and Jeremiah Nichols of FBC Carl Junction, discovered that their problems were opposite and possibly complimentary. They believed they could help one another.
FBC invited Rooted Church to share their space, and the agreement was struck in the Fall of 2022: Rooted would help maintain the building and FBC would provide them with space to grow.
A beautiful gospel partnership emerged. In between their two services, members of each church got to know each other. Occasionally, they would hold joint services. The Culbertsons recall the blessing of seeing children and young families once again in the halls of their church. “It was a breath of fresh air,” Ann says.
“Both [congregations] saw in the other body what our body was lacking,” Rambo says.
According to Brian Simmons, the former Family Pastor of FBC, the leadership teams at both churches envisioned what a merger might look like. “It was all sort of a pipe dream… dreaming and imagining what the possibilities were,” Simmons says.
Eventually, conversations about merging became serious, and they reached out to Resound Network. The network was, according to Rambo, “very helpful in… mediat[ing] that conversation.” As a nonbiased third party, Resound assessed the failing health of FBC Carl Junction; the church’s long-term survival was unlikely. Rambo says the network “help[ed] us see that… the end of something could truly be the beginning of something [else].”
Simmons, today a pastor at Rooted Church, was excited about the merger from the beginning. “I had been on staff [at FBC] for eleven years and had seen it go through several high points and some challenges. The idea of us being able to partner with another church that… had a healthier DNA and culture was really exciting to me.”
Some members were skeptical. Simmons says there was some “fear and anxiety of the possibilit[y] of… losing identity as a church.” In response, before the merger, the leadership held honest and transparent town hall meetings. “As Rodney likes to say,” Simmons continues, “we tried to talk them out of [merging]… and we gave people the freedom to express their opinions in multiple avenues.”
“To come together,” Rambo says, “everybody has to agree that what could be is more important than what is. You’re ultimately saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to sacrifice good for the sake of great.’ Both of our churches would have said we had something good.”
Compromises had to be made on both sides when it came to styles of worship, practices, and ministry. And, Rambo admits, that was hard. However, merging would mean they could make a bigger impact for the Kingdom of God. That vision compelled them to become something new. Preferences and opinions became smaller as the good of God’s Kingdom became bigger in their hearts. Ultimately, they wanted God’s glory more than they wanted to be comfortable.
The joint services held in the year before the official merger smoothed the process of becoming one body, and the experience gave congregants “peace about trusting one another through the [merging] process,” says Simmons.
In the end, FBC Carl Junction lost their name—an earthly thing—but secured a lasting, eternally significant legacy. They held onto their identity in Christ, for his glory and for the good of the Kingdom, when they merged with Rooted Church and adopted their name.
“Sometimes,” Simmons says, “to see ministry that might impact our kids or grandkids or great-grandkids, it is necessary for us to sacrifice our preferences… but the reward is worth it. The benefit of seeing new life and new ministry and new salvations and baptisms take place is worth all the hardship we might walk through in this moment, and the sacrifices we make today could have impacts for many generations beyond us if we’re simply willing to trust God and walk with Him.”
Rooted Church and FBC Carl Junction chose God over self, and then they celebrated a merger in September 2023. Becoming a multi-generational church added wisdom, understanding, and life experience to the congregation, the value of which Rambo says can’t be overstated.
After that, God worked in amazing ways. The merger challenged stereotypes in the community of “competitive” and “territorial” churches. People were curious, and they wanted to know what happened. As the story of the merger spread, Rooted saw unexpected growth.
Charles says, “We’re happy because we have so many [college students]… There are several young men thinking about going into the ministry. There’s a young couple going [overseas for missions]. All that’s happened in [this past year] is nothing but a blessing. The Lord is working in this church and in these people.”
Rambo and Simmons both admit that after the “honeymoon phase,” as Rambo put it, they weren’t quite done with the work of merging. Just like in a marriage, they’ve had to nurture and maintain relationships.
To do that, they doubled-down on communication, ensuring no one felt left behind. They also gave people time to rest and process all that had occurred. In addition, they put in the effort to get on the same page about their identity, mission, outreach, and structure.
According to Simmons, Rooted is moving forward with a “gospel DNA and a gospel culture [that takes] root in people’s hearts… something that really shapes [our] thinking and [our] language and [our] beliefs and convictions.”
“Now, the whole atmosphere of the church is different,” Ann says. “Even the old people are younger… the kids running up and down the hall… the laughter… it’s a wonderful place to be. You feel the Spirit in that church. We didn’t know we were missing it before, but we were.”
Rooted has now reached out to Resound Network a second time as God is preparing them to multiply. One-fourth of their body is preparing to plant Rooted Church Pittsburgh, a merger involving another dying church.
Rambo’s advice for leadership considering a merger is to “be really patient and don’t rush.” He emphasized the need for complete transparency about every aspect of functionality and ministry before a merger takes place.
Simmons says, “Don’t be scared of what God can do.” He reminds Christians that sometimes, “in order to see new life, something has to die first, and most of the time that involves sacrific[ing] our preferences and our desires and simply trusting that God’s ways are better than ours. His name matters more than ours does… It’s not about us making a name for ourselves but about helping people hear the name of Jesus.”
The Culbertsons speak to congregants who find themselves in the same place they did in 2022-2023. The first step, Charles says, is not to deny the problems just because “you’re satisfied with your circumstances.” He emphasized that keeping a building running isn’t the goal of the church; the goal is to reach people for Christ. “Be open to change,” both of them say. Listening, asking questions, and waiting on answers are all essential. “Pray about it a lot,” Ann says, “and the Lord will lead you.”
If God is calling your church to restore a legacy of gospel-centered ministry and outreach through merger or revitalization, reach out to Resound Network at resound@mobaptist.org.