Building Bridges

At this writing we are about five weeks out from what I believe has the potential to be a groundbreaking event.


Wow. That sounds impressive...


Here in the tri-state area of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio (we'll just call it KYOVA) we seem to live in a fragmented community. There are many of us who live in one state, and work, or worship, or go to school in another. We are separated by two rivers. They're not terribly wide, but they seem to do a good job of separating us. We live in one metropolitan area that ranks 158th in population in the U.S. Government's list of 567 Metropolitan Statistical Areas. It is larger in population than places like Lincoln, Nebraska; Boulder, Colorado; or Atlantic City, New Jersey. But the rivers seem to keep us parochialized into fragmented communities.


Now it is understandable that there would be natural differences, with three different state governments, and the various local governmental units in the KYOVA area. But really, we here in the central Ohio Valley share a lot in common. In fact, (other than a love for the UK Wildcats) those of us who live in Ashland, Kentucky have much more in common with the people of Huntington, WV or Ironton, OH than we do with the folks in Paducah, Louisville, or even Lexington, KY. Likewise, for those who live in Barboursville, WV. Their interests are more closely linked to those of the good people of South Point, OH or Grayson, KY than those of the northern or eastern panhandles of the Mountain State.



Local government officials are learning that we can get more accomplished by working together than by standing alone. The local chambers of commerce have come to the conclusion that new business in Ironton will benefit the economy of the neighboring communities, and vice versa. Although separated by the rivers, the communities have built bridges (literally and figuratively) to seek to accomplish the greater good. I believe that the same thing goes for those of us who call ourselves Southern Baptists.



Here in the KYOVA TriState Area there is an excellent Baptist presence. Nearly 80 local Southern Baptist churches and chapels are busy seeking to do Kingdom work, yet some of us are almost oblivious to the fact that just across the rivers from us, similar work is in progress. Each of us have our own local associations and state conventions, and many of us are active in those works, yet we seem to have let the physical barriers separate us from doing cooperative work right here in our KYOVA Area. Some of us believe that it is time to Build Bridges for better fellowship and ministry. On April 2 & 3 we have the opportunity to begin to do just that.



The concept has begun here in the Greater Huntington Baptist Association, and we are hoping to reach out in cooperation with our sister churches in Kentucky's Greenup Association and Ohio's Scioto Valley Association. It may be "baby steps" right now, but I believe it could be something that could grow into an informal "Tri State" or "KYOVA Baptist Fellowship". Not something that would interfere with the work of our local associations or respective state conventions - but something that would compliment them and unite us in ways that could further the Kingdom of God in our geographical region. I forsee possiblities of joint celebrations, mission projects, joint disaster relief efforts, greater fellowship and cooperation among our churches, and even a large area wide joint evangelistic crusade effort.



Here's where we start, and are urging our brethren in the adjacent associations to join with us in taking these "baby steps". A planning group has sprung up here in the Greater Huntington Baptist Association. It has been made up of pastors such as myself (Westmoreland Baptist), Cledith Campbell (Altizer Baptist Church), Rodney Hale (First Baptist Ceredo), John Freeman (Calvary), Brady Lipscomb (Eastwood), Ricky Ray (Highlawn) and our GHBA Director of Missions, Doug Virgin. Other pastors and staff members have joined with us on occasion as we have met several times to brainstorm, talk, and pray about such an effort. We are looking to host these first events, and have put together a proposal as follows:



We are asking each of our GHBA churches to join together for a joint worship celebration at 6:30 Wednesday night, April 2nd. Now, I know that most churches don't want to "cancel" a regularly scheduled service. We are not asking them to "cancel" but simply to "relocate" to a central location in an auditorium large enough to hold those who would join together for worship. This service will be held at Highlawn Baptist Church at the corner of 28th Street and Collis Avenue in east Huntington. This meeting will also serve as our association's Spring Semi Annual Meeting.


Then on the next evening, (6:30 Thursday, April 3) we are inviting our sister congregations from Greenup and Scioto Valley Associations to join us at First Baptist Church of Ceredo (on Main Street, just a block or so from US 60) for a joint worship celebration. There will be special music, a GHBA association joint choir, input from the three Association's Directors of Missions and a special guest speaker, Dr. Charles S. "Chuck" Kelley (pictured above). Dr. Kelley is the President of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a Seminary President with the heart of an Evangelist! He will have much to share with us on how bridges have been built in the New Orleans area following the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States.


Earlier in the day (11:30 am) Dr. Kelley will share with all of the pastors of the three associations who will attend a special luncheon and fellowship time here at Westmoreland Baptist Church.


Those of us on the planning team who have been working on this, are hoping to see bridges of cooperative ministry built in the following three areas:

• Between the churches of the Greater Huntington Baptist Association
• Between the GHBA and our Neighboring Baptist Associations (GBA and SVBA)
• Between our churches and the lost world around us.

If you are here in the KYOVA area, you are invited to attend. If you have any questions, need directions, or any other information, feel free to contact our GHBA office by phone at 304-525-9334 or me at 304-412-0352; or via email at pastoradkins@verizon.net.

I hope you will join us in building bridges.