By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
PINEVILLE – When James Greer surrendered to the ministry 30 years ago, he had a dream to one day baptize 100 people in a year.
That God-sized dream became reality on Dec. 13, 2015, when smiles, cheers and laughter were aplenty as Greer lowered Shelia Lowery – the 100th convert of the year—into the baptismal waters at Journey Church in Pineville.
Before year’s end, 17 more new members were baptized.
But the pastor believes 2015 was only a sign of even greater things to come for Journey Church in the central Louisiana community of 1,400 it serves.
So far, the congregation has celebrated 20 baptisms toward its goal of 200 for 2016.
“It’s way more about the people than the pastor,” Greer said. “We have the friendliest people this side of heaven. In fact, I love our church so much.”
Changed lives have been the norm since Greer and his congregation at Lee Heights Family Church moved to the former site of Donahue Family Church in 2009 and changed the name to Journey Church.
Since then, 368 new converts have been baptized and another 147 additional people have made professions of faith (515 spiritual commit ments in all).
One of the church’s core values is “Growing People Change” and its motto is “I mess up, you mess up, we all mess up.”
Journey Church has ministries that include Celebrate Recovery, professional counseling, hospital visitation and clothing and feeding the needy.
Executive pastor Josh Poe said the end goal is to see many hurting people experience transformed lives through Jesus Christ.
The surge in baptisms is just one piece of evidence that God is moving through Journey Church, he emphasized.
“We have a saying ‘every number is a name, every name has a story, every story matters to God’,” Poe said. “If it matters to God, it matters to us.
“We have some of the best and loving people at Journey,” he continued. “It’s people reaching out. We take care of people every week. We have all the elements in place for it to continue. God has just decided to start moving and we are trying to ride the wave while it’s here.”
Lives changed
A father and son, Jay and Randon Wooley, are among those whose lives have changed at the Journey Church.
Jay was baptized in March 2015 and Randon in August.
Even though nearly a year has passed since Jay was baptized, the moment seems like yesterday, he said.
“As soon as I was baptized, I felt like a load had been lifted,” Jay explained. “My son being baptized is a close runner up to the proudest I’ve ever been. I don’t cry but I did that day. I was on the stage playing the guitar. I gave him a high five on stage. To me it was surreal. Now there is a different bond between us.”
Lowery said her journey to become the 100th baptism at the church for 2015 began while attending a women’s Bible study group on Wednesday evenings and group sessions following Sunday morning services, after the death of her husband of 31 years. She said Journey Church helped her cope with grief and ultimately led the life-long Catholic to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
“The amazing fellowship, family atmosphere and, most important, the weekly sermons of Brother James continued to attract me weekly,” Lowery said. “His weekly messages, dealing with everyday life struggles and God’s love for each of us, no matter what we have faced, was then and continues to be a powerful healing tool in my life.
“Brother James’ messages reminded me and continue to remind me weekly that I am a child of God, that no matter how hard life is I can do anything through Christ who gives me strength, a scripture that my boyfriend inscribed into my very first Bible that was a gift from him when I accept Christ as my savior,” she continued. “I was blessed to be the 100th person baptized at Journey Church in 2015. That alone speaks a monumental blessing about this church.”
