As a bivocational pastor, Tedrick Woods demonstrates versatility in service. But his church’s hybrid worship model takes that versatility to a different level.
Three out of four Sundays each month, Woods preaches to the church he pastors in Dallas, from 200 miles away in Austin. On the first Sunday of every month, Wood comes to Dallas, and the congregation meets together in person.
Woods serves as senior pastor to Living Word Fellowship Church in Dallas.
The church was founded in 2015, in Hurst, at the suggestion of Larry Sanders, senior pastor of Keller Springs Baptist Church in Carrolton, where Woods served on staff as an associate pastor.
Woods prayed and considered the suggestion. Then, he decided to pursue it by beginning the process of requesting church planting assistance through Dallas Baptist Association and the Baptist General Convention of Texas, he said.
He received their approvals, with the Exciting Singing Hills Baptist Church in Dallas designated as the sponsoring church.
Woods noted the senior pastor of Singing Hills, Howard Anderson, was well known to him since childhood. He recalled growing up where Anderson “lived just two houses down from me in the community of Singing Hills, in Dallas.”
Unexpected growth
Within 18 months, the new church plant had grown from its five founding members to about 30 people. Things were going well, Woods said.
Then “church life happened.” The building where Living Word Fellowship was meeting, graciously provided by the late Pastor R.L. Rogers of Fort Worth, was listed for sale.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Calli Keener and originally published by Baptist Standard.
