We follow a God of renewal, who brings beauty from ashes, and this is one of those stories of His renewal within our midst. Watch this video or read and rejoice with us!

Is 61:1-7 reads:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
    they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
    the devastations of many generations.

5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
    foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
6 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
    they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
    and in their glory you shall boast.
7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
    instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
    they shall have everlasting joy.

When Pastor Rickie Moore passed away from COVID-19 in 2020, Garden Villas Baptist Church was ready to close its doors forever. UBA’s Renewal Pathway is a way of saying we believe in coming alongside churches at their lowest points. Instead of receiving their building directly and dissolving their assets, UBA asked the congregation how God might continue to use their facilities for kingdom work. We hoped to place multiple congregations in that space to continue the gospel presence in their neighborhood.

Garden Villas graciously gave their facility and remaining assets to create a fund to help with repairs for whoever would use the building next. UBA then began searching for the right churches to situate here to best impact the neighborhood for Christ.

Two Churches, One Home

Church Consultant Victor Marte called Juan Pablo Gutierrez, senior pastor of Templo Bautista Eben-Ezer, who had been looking for a place to worship and settle their church. They met at the facility, and Juan Pablo was immediately excited about how God could use the space. He knew the building needed a lot of repairs, but he also saw the community that desperately needed the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Church Consultant Bryant Lee then called Charles Gilford, senior pastor of New Vision Fellowship Church. He was also shocked that a church facility would be available for his congregation to use. When he met Pastor Juan, who would be sharing the building, the two became fast friends. In talking, they even lived on the same street just a few houses from one another!

When I presented this to my church,” Pastor Gilford reflects, “They were like me. ‘This don’t make good sense, but it seems as though we’re in the midst of a real miracle. A real blessing.’”

It was apparent the facility needed a lot of work before these churches could call it home. And this is where the collaboration of UBA churches comes in.

Many Hands Make Light Work

UBA churches like First Baptist Church of Pasadena, Houston’s First, Kingsland Baptist Church, and Sagemont Church volunteered and provided finances to prepare the facilities.

Even as they were in the midst of renovations, the pastors began connecting with the community in a new way. While these volunteers got to work, Pastor Juan Pablo noticed a neighbor across the street checking out the renovation, so he crossed the street to talk to him. In the course of their conversation, the neighbor noted that, in his 15 years of living across the street, this was the first time anyone from the church had ever come out to talk to him.

United by a common goal and mission, these two churches’ partnership speaks volumes to the neighborhood. By God's grace, one dying church's footprint became home to two thriving congregations who are now reaching and engaging the community.

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Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash