My wife, Pam and I started our pastorate at Childress Church of God in July of 2015. While the role which we have now is different, being a part of the congregation from 2003 to 2010, we feel we’ve returned home. We left in 2010 to pursue planting a church in Blacksburg, but our journey back to Childress was definitely in His time. We feel that as Mordecai said to Esther, “we are here for such a time as this.”

The year 2016 was a memorable year for us and the church, as we celebrated 40 years of ministry on July 10th. There was a celebration service followed by a homecoming style lunch with over 70 in attendance. We were able to honor Sister Martha Farmer for her faithfulness and service to the Lord as one of the co-founders of the church. Her husband and their family started the church at its current location in the basement on July 10, 1976. A longtime friend and ministry colleague of the Farmers, James Walker was the guest speaker.

As the year unfolded there were quotations received, business meetings held, schedules and building permits to obtain, and by that fall our project was underway. The church started renovations of the sanctuary on October 4th and finished December 18th. We changed the ceiling from acoustical tile and florescent lights to textured drywall and recessed LED lights. The walls and sound booth went from paneling to drywall and the stage was lowered for ease of access along with a few sound and media updates. A new door was added to the front of the sanctuary, pews were placed at an angle, new trim work was added and the carpet was replaced.

The church members pulled together to do all of the demolition, rebuilding of the stage, trim work installation, and painting. A special thanks to Pastors Travis Gore, Tony Eads and Jeramey Fleenor at the Pulaski Church of God for their insight and skills for upgrading our multi-media and sound systems. There were many great memories made working together, even though I was told that Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in only 52 days! (We didn’t miss it by too much.)

While there are other projects we want to accomplish our most important work is building the Kingdom for God! Which, just like our sanctuary remodel, takes everyone working together.

For us to complete this remodel debt free, it was not a project of one, but of many. For it was the faithful members who supported the church with their giving, time and talents, other churches willing to share advice, contractors who blessed us with discounts, and past leadership who instilled good stewardship and cast vision for the future. No one was or is without importance, we all need each other in the work of the ministry. Although the sanctuary turned out beautiful, it will pale in comparison to our final destination, Heaven.

Ronald Smith
Senior Pastor

Ministry on the Margins at Childress COG