A Baptist association’s gift to a young church in the Lonsdale community of Knoxville, Tennessee, will ensure a gospel presence is alive and well in the area.
Last year, Bethany Missionary Baptist Church in north Knoxville closed its doors after attendance had dwindled to about 10 elderly members, said Jerry Vittatoe, director of missions for both Midland Baptist Association and Northern Baptist Association.
Though not affiliated with Midland Association, the church reached out to Vittatoe because one of their former pastors, now serving in Northern Association, knew him well.
Struggling to survive
“The church had been without a pastor for two-and-a-half years and was struggling to keep the church up,” the DOM recounted.
The remaining members of Bethany Missionary Baptist agreed to give their building and property in the Lonsdale community to Midland Baptist Association.
Vittatoe was aware of Lonsdale Community Church which began about 10 years ago and currently meets in a building in the community that was owned by a local ministry.
He met with Lonsdale lead pastor Steele Wright and began conversations. Wright, who formerly served on the staff of First Baptist Church Joelton, and is a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, began serving at Lonsdale Community Church in 2021.
Lonsdale affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention last year and has since affiliated with both the Tennessee Baptist Convention and Midland Association, the pastor said.
Wright’s church, a primarily Anglo congregation, has a strong desire to reach the ethnically diverse Lonsdale community which is primarily comprised of Anglos, Hispanics and African Americans.
‘Vehicle for reaching people’
Both Wright and Vittatoe acknowledged that the Lonsdale community presents both challenges and obstacles to ministry. “It is a tough place to live,” Wright said, but noted there is a reason for the church to be there. “God tends to remember the people and places that the world forgets,” he said.
“Our vision is to reflect the ethnic diversity of Lonsdale,” Wright said. “As we reach the community, we want to look more like Lonsdale,” he added.
One advantage Wright brought to the table is that he speaks fluent Spanish and is able to converse with residents in the area.
Wright was excited about the possibility of acquiring the former Bethany church facility. “For a church our size (about 50 people), buying a building was not an option,” Wright said. “We had been praying for a long time to the Lord for a place of our own.”
Midland Association signed the property over to Lonsdale Community Church on Feb. 24. The church is dedicated to ministering to the people in the community, he affirmed.
To have the property “gifted to the church” was a blessing, the pastor said.
“I hope the building is a vehicle for reaching people and evangelizing Lonsdale,” Wright said.
Renovations in process
The church is currently in the process of making renovations on the facility. He hopes the church will be able to move in by late summer. “Our people are excited,” Wright said. “For us, the building will give us visibility and a presence in the community. We want people to see us and know they have a place where they can be loved and hear the gospel.”
In addition, the building provides stability for the community, he observed. “A building signals we will be here for a while and that we want to be here,” the pastor affirmed.
Randy Pressnell, Harvest Field Six team leader for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board affirmed both the church and association for “Kingdom partnerships.”
Because of their combined efforts and desire, the Lonsdale community will have a strong Christian witness and presence in the community for years to come, he said.
Wright also is grateful to Vittatoe and the association. “It was clear that their heart was to see the gospel advanced and to see Jesus shared here.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Lonnie Wilkey and originally published by Baptist and Reflector.
