“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This old African proverb has come to life in Allen Park, a city inside the Detroit, Michigan, metropolitan area.
The Allen Park Church of Christ and Lemay Avenue Church of Christ in Detroit decided to “go together” for the cause of Christ when they merged in late September.
“I think it’s a wonderful thing because we’ll have enough people to really serve the Lord,” said Donnie Medley, one of Allen Park’s elders. “The community around us will know of the work of the Lord.”
The Allen Park congregation has been in its current location since 1962. The church is long past its heyday, when it had more than 400 members. With the general decline seen by many churches across the U.S., exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance had dwindled to about 60.
The Lemay Avenue congregation was also past its golden years but had begun new growth under the direction of Robert Clark, the church’s minister of eight years. The church had about 40 members before the merger.
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“I feel the merger has been blessed by God and creates opportunity for us to serve our communities with Godly love,” Clark said.
Allen Park had two elders, Medley and Clyde Mayberry, who was also the minister. He and Clark are now co-ministers.
“I am delighted we have made this decision,” Mayberry said. “No one cared about White or Black — we’re just Christians who are saved by grace and headed to the same place.”
‘One Larger And Stronger Congregation Working Together’
Members of the two congregations also expressed excitement in anticipation of the merger.
“I personally feel very positive about the merger,” said Guyler Turner, a member of Lemay Avenue. “Lord’s will, we will be a model for other congregations who may be considering a similar move in that direction.”
Another Lemay Avenue member, Cutise Boswell, said he looks forward to growing closer to his fellow Christians and growing closer to God alongside them. “It is something beautiful about followers of Christ being able to come together for the cause of Christ,” Boswell said.
Anita Flannigan, a member of Allen Park, echoed that sentiment. “I can’t wait to get to know all of our new church family,” she said. “I know we will be giving God the glory when we worship, fellowship and work on ministries together. It will be exciting to hear new ideas and suggestions that we can implement to continue to do God’s work together.”
But for John Bowyer, also from Allen Park, “merger” doesn’t accurately describe the move.
“I have never cared for the term ‘church or congregation merger,’” Bowyer said. “I believe we should worship together as opportunities present themselves wherever it is.
“As I looked around the auditorium and fellowship hall today, I saw new faces with names yet familiar to me. But I also saw people wanting to worship God together and study the Bible together. I look forward to learning their names as we work together.”
Regardless of the term, the new body of Christians, which will retain the Allen Park name, aims to get off to a strong start for the kingdom.
“We were two small but strong congregations,” member Deanna Calleja said, “and we are coming together as one larger and stronger congregation working together for the Lord. It’s encouraging to see all the different talents coming together.”
This story originally appeared at The Christian Chronicle.
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8 Responses
Problem with both these churches is bad doctrine, believing that you must be baptized to be saved. No, the Bible says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephe 2;8-9)
The Church of Christ people believe they should do things as presented in the New Testament. But the Church back at the beginning and for a long time did not have a New Testament. What did those people do? Can anyone in the Church of Christ really say? Disagreeing with those folks on the basis of Scripture alone is pointless because sola scriptura has not resulted in a united group of people. In fact, it’s facilitated the opposite.
For anyone that is curious about this, I recommend “The Shape of the Liturgy” by Dom Gregory Dix. Read the first chapter or two to see what was going on, especially with liturgy and the Eucharist. You might be surprised.
My dear brother Dennis, please read Mark 16:16 “He that believes and is baptized will be saved” it’s right there in the Word of God. It is a requirement (if possible) to do for salavation. Many will be deceived, but this is in there for a reason by Jesus. Baptism is an important part of salvation…again, it’s in the Word! My brother, please read it and get baptized soon!
Tim, the meaning of this imperative from Mark, always leaves me thinking. I’m not sure what the import of the ritual of baptism is. Albeit I see that the elements of this ritual may materialistically represent a deeper immersion in the God-centred waters of life.
I’m more persuaded by what tends to be meant by “conversion”, where individuals go through epistemological (believing) and ontological (baptism) experiencing. I can associate that conversion (of being) experience with what Genesis says about “water” and “spirit”. The so experientially baptised individual, moving from an Earthly sense of being, to a God-centred sense of being (which reprises the Genesis creation). Where “salvation” attaches to this latter movement, where sustaining salvation requires cleaving to God (ontology), and where that cleaving stems from sustained reliance on the Biblical “word” (epistemology).
Dennis, Tim and Colin: What do the Ancient Churches say we are to do? If people “prove” opposite contentions with verses from the Bible – how do you know who is right? It’s like when people argue for or against “eternal security.” The same Bible is used to “prove” both.
With topics like this I think most know it is a mine field that one is almost certain to make a wrong step in and therefore better to avoid. That being said what I would look for in this merger is what do they have in common and what do they not have in common. Doctrine, worship style, worship music, governance of the staff, finances. You wouldn’t successfully merge a Catholic congregation with a Baptist so the question here in my mind would be is there enough common ground for these two congregations to successfully merge. I don’t know the answer to that but the media spot light seems to only focus on the race of the two congregations when I think the success of this merger is much more complicated than that.
Given they are of the same denomination, I think they are likely aligned on doctrine.
As a Black woman who has attended both predominantly Black and white churches, it is true worship styles and music can be different. However if you focus on incorporating both in the spirit of unity (not presuming one way is right or wrong, or on forcing just one way), it should be encouraging to one another and, most importantly, uplifting to God. I really pray this is successful. I’d like to see the body of Christ do more to address our segregation.
Best wishes to everyone involved.