The power of prayer has been on full display in recent months at Oak Grove Baptist Church.
When Brent Lee was called as its pastor in March, the church was running 10 to 12 people. Now five months later, attendance is consistently more than 25. On July 14, Lee baptized seven people — and he attributes those baptisms to the fervent prayers of the congregation.
One of seven baptisms July 14 at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Mayfield.
“We took Wednesday nights and I shared a short devotional,” Lee said. Then the congregation divided into men’s and women’s prayer groups. “All that has happened has been the direct result of prayers voiced in those prayer meetings — the baptisms came from a direct prayer for a family. That family had been completely out of church. We were able to baptize a father, mother and their three children, and then we had two others who came forward for baptism as well.
“We’ve seen some other moves through people praying for their family. So far that is where we have seen the big moves.”
All involved
In talking about the faithfulness of the core group of believers at Oak Grove, Lee said they “are energized and excited.”
“This church has people 75 years old and older as its core group, so right now we don’t have the physical acuity to go out and do a lot of door-to-door. The people are on canes and walkers, but they are so excited about what is happening. They are getting on the phone and on social media to reach out to people. When they leave church they are looking for people to get to come to church.”
Lee, who has been in the pastorate since 2001, filled in at Oak Grove when it was without a pastor.
“We hit it off, and they called me to be the pastor,” he said. “We have visitors coming every Sunday — there are a lot of prospects and potential for growth. These are beautiful people, and there is complete and total unity. Everybody loves one another, and their love for the Lord is incredible. When people come to visit, I think they can feel the presence of the Lord and the love of the people. I think that makes a big difference.”
Upon accepting the call, one of the first major challenges Lee faced was dealing with a leaking roof that caused damage inside, primarily to the fellowship hall.
“There was significant roof damage — it had leaked through and caused a lot of mold issues,” he said. “One estimate to do the inside was $30,000, but we were able to get all that done for less than $10,000.”
Lee said the situation had deteriorated because “the church had been so small and inactive.”
Recent months show that is no longer the case.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Chip Hutcheson and originally published by Kentucky Today.
