South Carolina Baptists are using their gifts and talents to partner with new church plants to reach the urban Atlanta area with the gospel. The Urban Atlanta Church Planting (UACP) cooperative effort has a goal of starting 100 new churches in the densely populated area within the city’s I-285 perimeter by the end of 2014.
Atlanta-area church planter Todd Briggs, pastor of Midtown Church, shares the gospel at a backyard Bible club. South Carolina Baptist churches are partnering with Briggs and other church planters to reach the metropolitan area.“This partnership was born of the vision of Jim Haskell, a native South Carolinian and UACP leader,” said Ronnie Cox, Acts 1:8 strategist with the South Carolina Baptist Convention. “He provided the framework for the vision tours that offer our churches and associational leaders their initial connection with Atlanta church planters. Our partnership has proven to be a mutually satisfying relationship in kingdom work.”
The UACP is a cooperative effort of the Georgia Baptist Convention and local associations, the North American Mission Board, and LifeWay. The stated goal is to intentionally plant relevant, reproducing congregations that produce community transformation. As of August 2010, there are 16 new churches in some phase of development and nine planters either connected with a church or assigned to locations or people groups.
Brad Adkins, pastor of First Church, Powdersville, described the partnership as doing more together than one church could do alone. “Our church could never have an impact in the Atlanta metro area, but through Midtown Church we do – just like we could never fully support a foreign missionary, but through the Cooperative Program we support thousands of missionaries,” he said. “Partnerships allow our church to be involved in missions that we could not impact otherwise,” Adkins said.
Midtown Church began meeting last August in an older church building nestled in an affluent and desirable metro Atlanta neighborhood. At the time, surveys indicated that only 5 percent of the community’s population attended church. Pastor Todd Briggs has leaned on ministry teams like those from Powdersville to renovate and help with physical church needs. Powdersville has also pledged to support Midtown with one percent of its undesignated offerings.
“South Carolina church members have resonated with what God is doing here, and these churches and pastors understand that planting an urban church is unique,” Briggs said.
With the help of Anderson Mill Road Church in Moore, Midtown has reached out to the community with a book signing event, Palm Sunday activities, and an Easter egg hunt. South Main Church in Greenwood has given support toward Midtown’s mission work in Zimbabwe and other church leadership development.
“We have been commanded to be witnesses to the ends of the earth,” said Tom Capps, Greer Association missions mobilization coordinator and a staff member at Victor Church. “Ninety-eight nations live in Atlanta, and we can reach them in less than three hours. We can pray and give, but when we partner and serve side by side, we see God work in and through us.” Capps has been a part of ministry teams from Greer Association that have helped Midtown with community outreach and physical improvements to the church facility.
“We would not be where we are without the partnerships we’ve had with South Carolina. There have been tough times, but these guys have really buoyed us to help,” Briggs said.
Another church planter, Martez Andrews, said the South Carolina partnership has lessened some of the pressure he has experienced while starting Connect Church in Atlanta. “Too many planters are alone in the harvest. South Carolina churches have said, ‘We’ll partner with you; we’re here to help you claim the harvest that God has already promised,’ ” he said.
Connect Church conducted a survey with the SCBC, which revealed that 90 percent of the roughly 200,000 people living within a five-mile radius of the church do not know Christ. “We asked, ‘What does it take for a person to get to heaven?’ and not one answered anything about trusting in Christ. That told us there is a lot of lostness in our community,” Andrews said.
Connect Church has focused ministry efforts on some local schools, which have been open to Andrews’ ideas for engaging the community. The church adopted 20 families from the school system at Christmas and hosted a teacher appreciation lunch. When Andrews approached the administration about allowing an Upward Basketball program to meet on school property, they were quick to agree.
South Carolina churches have helped Connect Church with many aspects of the new Upward program. Riverland Hills Church in Columbia purchased basketballs and goals and sponsored several players. Browns Chapel in Pacolet purchased sound equipment, and First Church, Columbia, helped with community surveys and home visits.
Andrews said the first Upward season was a success: 80 children from the community participated, and 15 children and five adults were led to Christ. This summer, Charleston Church and First Church, Columbia, will help with two Upward camps, and teams from Laurens Association will lead an additional Vacation Bible School there. Andrews reports that since January, there have been 40 salvations through Connect Church.
Tim Brown, a member of Riverland Hills Church’s vision team, said it is exciting to see God working in another area. “Part of being an Acts 1:8 church is being involved locally in ministry, in our state and beyond,” he said. “Nothing’s more important than doing things that will last for eternity.”
Cox said the “great value of this agreement” has been that Atlanta is close enough to allow more frequent travel to and from ministry sites. “Planters have spoken in our churches, and our pastors have spoken in the new church plants,” he said. “It is a real win for South Carolina Baptists, Georgia Baptists and, especially, for the kingdom,” Cox said.
For more information, or to become involved in UACP efforts through short-term trips or ongoing support, contact the missions mobilization office or visit www.scbaptist.org/northamerica/opportunitiesinatlanta2011.htm. – SCBC