Fellowship Church - Part Two

     The Rohwer-BF Goodrich Company closed its doors. Many of our members had to move. John Sowers had a great opportunity to join the Billy Graham Crusade. By this time, many of the members sensed the problems among the leadership. Others left. By 2003, only the Gillum and Holloway families, and four very strong students, remained. Fellowship Northwest recommended we close our doors. I, myself, had doubts about continuing. When Michael and I discussed this, he smiled and replied, “This is not a disaster. It is an opportunity.”Actually, I have to give him and Barbara full credit for us continuing on. Barbara told me, “I have felt God's presence here like I have nowhere else. We can't quit, no matter how small we get.” With a heavy heart, I told Michael, If we can't keep the attendance above 12 this summer, we need to just let it go.” Michael went to work. He talked Scott Jackson, who was now teaching at OBU, and Scott Duvall into filling in on an interim basis that summer, and our attendance stayed above 12 all summer. I still suspect that Michael counted heads in their families when he hired them!:)                                           

     By fall, word began to get around about the great men who were preaching there. Scott Jackson met with Michael and I in late summer, and expressed an interest in becoming the pastor. We were overjoyed. But it was soon cut short. OBU did not wish one of their teachers to pastor a non-Baptist church. Scott suggested, since all in the church now had a Baptist background, that we consider becoming a Baptist church. Scott led us through a comparison between the Baptist and our church's  belief's, and they were the same. Only the way we conducted church, and our leadership, differed. We soon joined the Red River Baptist Association and the Arkansas Baptist State Convention and became Fellowship Church of Arkadelphia, Scott Jackson, Pastor!

     I called my son Corey. “Corey, see if you can guess who we just hired as pastor?”.

     Though many quite naturally consider that our present church started at that point, and that I am one of the founders, Barbara and I both know that we never missed one Sunday's service in the transition,  and the church we know started in 1999. That makes me a follower. I've always been a good follower, anyway!

     Under Scott's leadership, we began to grow quickly. We soon got another major break. Neal Nelson and his family, along with his powerful, unique brand of evangelism, came into our fold. Many HSU students followed. Neal is the director of Baptist Collegiate  Ministries at HSU.

      We were growing fast now. We really had no place for Children's Church, and their numbers were rapidly increasing. God, as he has all along, opened another door, and we moved to the BCM at HSU.

      One day Scott showed up for a leadership meeting with a particularly large smile on his face. “Something really big may be in the works. Scott Duvall is interested in becoming a co-pastor! This would give our church instant credibility statewide, as well as a great pastor! We quickly jumped at this opportunity, and Scott Duvall and his family joined us, followed by hundreds of OBU students.

     Just as things were going so wonderfully, a major tragedy struck. Michael Holloway, the only church member who was involved in the early planning of the church in 1998, and was the finest lay evangelist I have ever known, and my best friend, was killed in a motorcycle accident. One of the hardest times I have ever experienced. His wife Shirlene contributed a large amount of Michael's life insurance to the church, even though she was now left with 3 girls to raise. Shirlene has now remarried, and lives in Tennessee, her home as a young girl. The daughters have all married.

     It seems almost as if God is saying to us, “Alright. I gave you guys the chance to build a great church, and you messed it up. This time around, I'm going to send you the best leadership I can find. Don't mess it up this time!”

     Frank Teed and his family joined us. An extremely skilled businessman, he spends lots of time leading us through the financial end of building our church to the point we are at today.

     We again outgrew our building, and were fortunate enough to use the auditorium in the Garrison

Center at HSU. Our final move, at least so far, to our present location on Pine street followed soon.

     The Mellow Fellows, our over-50 group, has become a very tight knit and fun group. We meet regularly, travel together, and laugh an awful lot!

     Ronnie McMillan recently joined our leadership team. Every time one turns around, Ronnie is using his great servant's heart to do something for the church, and he contributes his wisdom from his many years of church leadership. Me, I occupy a chair at those meetings. I don't say much. With everything going smoothly, why should I?

     Under Scott's leadership, and by God's grace, our current leadership team has remained very healthy. Not to say we never disagree. Sometimes we do, and with conviction. But we always talk through it.

     Rev. Darryl Bridges, Rev. Brad Sickler, Dr. Doug Nykolaishen (who still teaches regularly) and Chris Kear have contributed much to our current leadership team ASA (After Scott's arrival).

     Scott Duvall has been able to tap into an always vast talent reserve, mostly involving our students, to form our always great Worship Team, both vocally and instrumental.

     We have never been inclined to spend vast sums of money on a building, preferring instead to put as much as we can into outreach, contributing to many mission trips both abroad and domestic. We contribute 10% to the Lottie Moon fund, and regularly find other outreach opportunities.

     I don't say “amazing” lightly, as many do today. God has provided us with an AMAZING opportunity to minister to hundreds of wonderful university students, offering us a unique way to  impact God's work through them, worldwide. Our graduating seniors become our missionaries to the world. Although, I must admit, it is hard to say goodbye to so many so often.

     Our “Community Groups” are now called Koinonia or K– groups, to remind us we are meeting as the early Christians did, meeting in homes, breaking bread, have fellowship, studying God's word and praying together.

     One of our major goals, as Scott Duvall stated so well, is to strive to “Look more like heaven looks,” striving to become more and more multicultural. With God's help, we will.

     Linda Holway said it well.”Fellowship Church may not be “traditional,” but it is a wonderful place to worship...a place where we go expecting to commune with our lord...and we have yet to be disappointed.”

Pat Gillum-2012