REFUGE, a new church plant in the Chapin area with a vision for all of Columbia, has a singular mission: to be a refuge for young adults who are hurting, confused, lost, desperate, addicted and scared. Starting with just six people in March, the church is now averaging near 100 on Sunday mornings.
REFUGE pastor Kenny KellyTo understand the church’s heart for the hurting, there must be an understanding of the church’s pastor, Kenny Kelly, 28, whose own story mirrors those he wants to reach with REFUGE.
“In high school, I was a partyer and became addicted to drugs and alcohol,” Kelly said. “It was a bad situation. I was in and out of jail. I was causing so much disruption in our family that my dad had to kick me out. He told me I couldn’t come back until I faced my problem and was ready for help.”
Kelly’s dad is Ken Kelly, pastor at Chapin Baptist Church, and a member of the SCBC Executive Board.
“My dad was at a conference in Phoenix,” Kelly said. “Things were not going well for me. I called my dad and said, ‘I’m ready and I need help.’ My dad flew home immediately and got me in Teen Challenge.” According to its Web site, Teen Challenge is a residential center with intensive help for teens facing life-controlling problems.
“I went to a worship service and the speaker was preaching to me,” Kelly said. “He was playing out my life story. I went straight to the altar and I was broken. Jesus literally rescued me, and when Jesus rescues you from despair you won’t ever get over it. I am so grateful to Jesus, and it still causes me to weep.”
Kelly also had a word for his dad. “My dad is the closest example of Jesus’ love that I could ever imagine. He loved me and never stopped. He was patient with me until it came time to demonstrate tough love. He did that. Then, when I needed him, he rushed to me and stood alongside me.”
Kelly spent 10 months in rehab and began to put his life back together. “I had to get clean, I had to face the embarrassment for what I had done, and I had to get forgiveness from the people that I hurt,” he said. “People want to look at addiction as a disease, but it is sin and it separates us from God. It takes us farther and farther away from him.”
Pastor Kenny Kelly and REFUGE members pray at a baptismal service.About two weeks after he was saved, Kelly knew he had been called to preach the gospel. “The Bible just came alive to me,” he said. “Instead of underlining verses in my Bible, I started writing sermons. I still have that little sermon book. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I could pull ideas out of the Bible.”
Kelly said his family forgave him. He got a job, paid off some legal fines, got his driver’s license back, got a car, and on Feb. 1, 2005, came on staff at Chapin Church as assistant student pastor. From there, “I just started growing as a follower.”
Fast-forward to 2009.
“There was a lot of safety in being a youth pastor at Chapin,” Kelly said. “I could have stayed right there in my bubble, had freedom, had a salary, and been just fine. But deep down I wanted to plant a church. I was sick of seeing people in my generation wander through life without faith and a church. I had no money for a church plant and I knew there were a lot of risks. But God made me very uncomfortable where I was.”
In March, Kelly walked away from Chapin Baptist Church. He, his wife Jamie, and six others began meeting on Monday evenings at his parents’ home for Bible study.
“We had no idea what we were doing,” he said. “But we knew we wanted to plant a church.” The Monday group began to grow as friends were invited.
“I began to see that people were coming on Mondays, but they were involved in other churches on Sundays,” he said. “It became time for us to meet on Sunday mornings.” On Sunday, April 5, the small church began meeting at the home of Jamie’s parents, Johnny and Valerie Rumbough. Johnny is director of missions, Lexington Baptist Association, and Valerie is chief operations officer, Baptist Foundation of South Carolina.
“The first Sunday we had 12, then it grew to 30 and then it grew to 50,” Kelly said. “The cool thing is that 75 percent of the people were not involved in a church – they were unchurched or de-churched.”
As the church grew, Kelly said furniture had to be moved in the Rumboughs’ family room and chairs were brought in. “One Sunday, we had 49 chairs, but we had 88 people in there and everyone had a seat – no one was standing. It really was like Jesus feeding the 5,000. It wasn’t like we had an extra 30 seats in there.” The growing church had a baptism service, too, using the Rumboughs’ swimming pool.
As the church bloomed to a consistent 80-90 in attendance, Kelly came with a surprise on June 28.
“We had our opening song and announcements, and then I told everyone to get in their cars and follow me,” he said. “It was tough keeping the surprise” – even from his volunteer staff. Kelly led the 60-car caravan to Lake Murray Elementary School, Chapin, and introduced the church to its new Sunday home. “You should have seen the looks on their faces. It was priceless.”
The church now connects with 130 people, and regular attendance hovers near 100 on Sunday mornings. The service is non-traditional in its order, opening with a song and announcements, then letting people enjoy a time of fellowship before reassembling for preaching and worship.
REFUGE is led by a volunteer leadership team, including worship leader Doug McDonald; elder Mike Clonts, of whom Kelly says, “You ask Mike to do something and he gets it done”; Kelly’s brother, Kevin, who serves as business administrator; children’s pastor Megan King; and, missions pastor Kadie Lee.
Most importantly, Kelly said, is his wife Jamie.
“She is the most important person in this ministry for me,” he said. “Her heart for people is amazing – it’s overwhelming. She’s got so much wisdom and discernment, and her heart is filled with compassion and mercy. She loves broken people and loves to be around them. She is a church planter. This is our ministry together.”
They met while Jamie was working at a Chapin restaurant “and she started giving me free food,” he said. “She won me over. Our first date, we went to worship and Bible study together, our spirits connected, and I just knew she was the one for me.” They were married in April 2008.
Kelly said REFUGE receives no financial aid from any other church or organization, though he calls Center Pointe Community Church, Lexington, a “sponsoring church and its pastor, David Moore, a personal mentor.”
“I want the people who feel they are judged or not accepted at other churches,” Kelly said. “Regardless of lifestyle, ethnic background or views on faith, I want them here with us. I want them having spiritual conversations. We will confront sin and I will preach the truth – and Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. I want people to know they are loved, and that’s the prime characteristic that defines our church.”
Beyond worship, REFUGE is involved in missions, specifically homeless ministry in Chapin and Prosperity but also in downtown Columbia. One recent Sunday, Kelly took off his shoes during worship and pledged them to the homeless. Others in the service followed and some even rushed home, gathered up all their shoes, and brought them back to the service. “We collected about 90 pairs of shoes – some brought all they had but one pair for themselves.”
Beyond its weekly worship service, REFUGE connects people during the week with 13 different small groups meeting in homes, retail businesses, and across the Columbia area.
“We have one vision for our church and that’s the Great Commission – to make disciples.” Kelly said. “Our goal is to make disciples and to plant other churches. We want to plant two more churches in the next five years.”
Kelly paused and then recited Psalm 40: “He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he sat my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth.” – SCBC