By Eric Copass
First Baptist Church Celina, Tennessee
As the walls of our beloved church — which have stood proudly since January 1936 — are being dismantled to pave the way for a new chapter, it’s crucial to reminisce about the rich history that has shaped our community. Each brick, each pew and each glass window hold within it a story of faith, resilience and devotion.
The story of First Baptist Church Celina, Tennessee, is rooted in the vision and dedication of its founding members, Mary Belle Spear and E.W. Fox. In the midst of economic hardship during the Great Depression, … with fervent prayers and determination, they embarked on a journey to bring their dream to fruition; however, their vision alone was not enough, and through the financial assistance and support of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, their dream became a reality.
Vision realized
After months of tireless effort and dedication, the doors of our rough-framed, tar papered, (later covered with stone) church swung open for the first time in January 1936.
Huddled around a potbelly stove with cracks in the floors, the vision of a new dawn of hope and promise had come to fruition. The inaugural service was a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, as congregants gathered to celebrate the birth of a sacred space.
Over the decades, our church has borne witness to moments of triumph and tribulation, mirroring the ebb and flow of life itself. … Through it all, faith has remained steadfast, serving as a guiding light through the darkest of storms.
Throughout its history, Celina First Baptist Church has been blessed with a succession of pastors who have shepherded the congregation with wisdom and compassion.
From the early days of the church to the present, these spiritual leaders have played a vital role in nurturing the faith and unity of our community. While pastors have come and gone, their impact on our church’s legacy is profound and enduring.
As the years rolled by, Celina First Baptist grew in both size and stature, becoming a cornerstone of the community it served. With growth, however, comes the need for change, and in embracing the future, we must bid farewell to the past.
A new beginning
The decision to tear down our beloved old sanctuary … heralds a new beginning — a chance to expand our sanctuary and accommodate the needs of a growing congregation. …
Though the physical structure may be torn down, the bonds of community and faith that unite us remain unbreakable.
As we look to the future with hope and optimism, let us never forget the cherished memories of our past — for they are the foundation upon which our church was built.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Eric Copass is pastor of First Baptist Church Celina, Tennessee. This story was originally published by Baptist and Reflector.
Letters to the Editor
With so many unnecessary killings taking place in our country, I want to make a plea for a renewed effort to teach and promote the Ten Commandments.
The tragic shootings by so many young men could have been prevented if they had been taught the Ten Commandments.
There is a God of love that knew them before they were in their mother’s womb, and He had plans for them. He gave them choices. The choices were to obey His commandments.
These young men, who were no doubt fed up with life, seemed to have no self-worth and be mad at the world. In an attempt to get even, they became murderers.
How many of them were taught about God, the One who created them? How many of them were taught that the directions for living are in the Bible?
Were they taught there are consequences for breaking a commandment?
No man-made law is the answer. The Ten Commandments — a set of moral principles given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai — need to be posted on billboards, preached in churches, taught in schools and lived out in the homes. God is real and His commandments are the rules by which to live. You can find the list in Exodus 20:2–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21.
Who will do something to stop the killings and teach God’s commandments?
Norma Taylor
Mattoon, Illinois
Church leader, be open about your weakness
By Andrew Hager
Michigan’s Baptist Beacon
That was one of the best sermons I’ve ever heard.” These words were delivered to me by a young man after one of our services last year.
I asked what made him say that. He said it was a moment in my sermon when I was talking off the cuff about a porn addiction Jesus had delivered me from.
“When you confessed your sin, I realized that God could save someone like me,” he said. The power of 2 Corinthians 12:9–11 washed over me like a tidal wave and something broke inside of me.
In the throes of planting Treeline Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I didn’t realize the single narrative that was dominating my thought life: You need to be a strong leader for this young church. You need to be well-read for the educated people of Ann Arbor. You need to be a clear and compelling communicator. You need to have no needs.
But here’s the message I really needed: You need to be weak and dependent on Jesus.
In all my efforts to be strong and inviting for our church, I missed one of the greatest joys of being a follower of Jesus: It’s okay to be weak. People will be impressed with your strengths, but they will identify with your weaknesses.
This has been one of the single greatest lessons the Lord has been teaching me over the last year: One of the things people need the most is not a bunch of leaders who preach the gospel but a bunch of leaders who need the gospel for themselves.
May we all learn the secret of what it means to intentionally and publicly be weak so that Jesus might be made great in our homes and churches.
The world is strong, our flesh is weak and the devil is devious, strategic and relentless. His only hope is to pull Christians away from intimacy with the Father. He knows that when we draw near to God, God will draw near to us, and we will become powerful tools of His life in a needy world, showing the world that we were each made in God’s image. That God has made us like He is so we can join Him in what He does … and this joining only comes through dependency upon Him.
Bill Elliff
North Little Rock, Arkansas
billelliff.org
The gift of exhortation (Rom. 12:8) is an appeal to the will. Whereas teaching is directed to the understanding, exhortation is concerned with building upon the foundation of understanding which the one with the gift of teaching has laid. It is, therefore, more concerned with getting people to act in light of that teaching. Its aim is to spur people on in the pursuit of Christian discipleship. The idea behind this gift is that of an “advocate.” Its watchword is, “Neither do I condemn thee.”
Morris Murray Jr.
Jasper, Alabama
“Everything I learn, I get out there and show my kids what I learn. Hopefully it’s the gift that keeps on giving,” said Marie Beam. Thanks to the Faye Dove Scholarship, a gift provided by the WMU Foundation to help a Christian Women’s Job Corps graduate further her education, Beam now has money to buy the tools to finish her associate’s degree in automotive mechanics at Northeast Texas Community College.
“Southern Baptists and their missions work are heirs to what [the Judsons] did in the country of Burma (modern-day Myanmar),” said Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Seminary, who noted the renaming of its undergraduate college to Judson College fits the seminary’s vision and mission. “The name Judson has been rightly honored at Judson College in Marion, Alabama, since 1838. Now Southeastern has the honor of carrying on that name and the missional spirit it represents.”
“I have always been taught that, if the Lord calls you somewhere, you do not leave unless He changes your assignment or calls you home. This has helped me through many of the difficult times as a pastor,” said David Scott Lee, a rural pastor at Newbury Bible Church, Vermont.
“It isn’t easy, and at times it is pretty discouraging, but there are times of great joy. We may not have the numbers other churches have in larger areas, but the Lord has us here. When He brings us someone we rejoice together and when He calls someone home, we mourn together.”
“We really want to be genuine friends and to genuinely love them, because Christ called us to. Whether they choose to believe or not, you can still be a friend,” said Asa Watson, who serves alongside his wife, Vanessa, with the International Mission Board in Germany.
“I’m just trusting that God has given me certain gifts and He’s placed songs in my heart,” said singer-songwriter Jordan Janzen. “So I’m really trusting Him in all of this.”
[Voting] is important, but the results don’t define us. Whether our candidate wins or loses, our mission remains the same: to love God, love others and reflect His light in a world that desperately needs it.
Tony Martin
Jackson, Mississippi
youcanhavehope.com
