Despite being a vibrant part of the San Antonio community for 102 years, Saint Luke Baptist Church appeared to some to be dying.
Declining membership and a changing neighborhood demographic were not painting a hopeful picture, and pastor Joe Barber knew something had to change if the church’s ministry was to continue.
“The church has been reluctant to change … and the younger generations have moved out of the neighborhood around us,” said Barber, who celebrated 18 years as pastor in October. “The church elders and core members were stuck.”
An email from Oza Jones, director of Texas Baptists African American Ministries, gave Barber a glimmer of promise. Jonathan Smith, director of the convention’s Church Health Strategy, was working with churches just like Saint Luke through his office’s PAVE church revitalization program.
“When I learned about PAVE, I decided to go learn more. I refused to pull the plug on [Saint Luke],” said Barber, who serves bi-vocationally as a substance abuse counselor. “It was like CPR to revive us. The program, for me, has been a godsend.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Teresa Young and originally published by Texas Baptists.
