Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Why the city?

On Sunday, July 13, 2014, FBC Avondale Estates, GA voted for me to assume the responsibilities as Pastor of their church. Avondale Estates is a community tucked just inside the perimeter in the Atlanta Metro Area. In other words, we are ITP. Today there are close to 300k people in a 5-mile ring of this church.

The decision to leave the Federal Bureau of Prisons was one that I knew had to be made. It was time -- for many reasons. But, this blog opportunity isn't about my leaving, but about my arriving in this new and important ministry context.

I want to share a heart breaking stat with you --

"In 1965 there were 166 Georgia Baptist churches ITP; today only 38 remain; 25 average less than 100 in attendance. That is a 77% decline in just a half century." - Christian Index, Joe Westbury, Managing Editor, Published February 6, 2014


That simple stat shook my world. As you reflect on that -- I wonder if you would ask yourself has the population of metro ATL grown or shrunk in those 49 years. Of course the population has grown exponentially.