I know most of you were surprised with the announcement that Josh and Elizabeth Howeth, Josh and Chelsea Armentano, and Stephen and Lisa Brucker are going to work together to begin a new church in Corvallis, especially targeting college students. I’m excited and sad at the same time. Let me give you a little background on all of this.

Grant Avenue Baptist Church was founded in 1956 with the goal of reaching and ministering to students who were attending the Oregon State Agricultural College. Through the years many students attended, accepted Christ, were discipled and moved on to minister and live for Christ around the world. While we have ministered to many students, in the last ten years there has been an increasing desire on the part of some to begin a new church, especially targeting the college community.

Wes Hughes and Petey Crowder, while BCM Directors at OSU, both wanted to establish a worship service geared to college students. In between Wes and Petey a student minister named Keith Weiser came to Corvallis to investigate the BCM position. When we met one of his questions was would the church be open to establishing a new church, targeting the college community. I told Keith yes. God led him to Pullman, Washington where he began Resonate, a college centered church.

Resonate is a success. They are reaching several hundred college students in Pullman and began a new church in Moscow, Idaho which is also reaching a large number of students. Increasingly, they are also reaching other adults in the community.

NWBC staff and I began talking about beginning a Resonate style church in Corvallis several years ago. Grant Avenue will never stop trying to reach college students but with 25,000 students at OSU and the reality that we are only impacting a handful, it seems prudent to attempt to expand our ministry to them with a church geared especially for them.

Two years ago a team of recent Texas Tech graduates toured Corvallis with the intent of starting a church. They spent one year working with Resonate in Pullman to learn and be trained. Convention staff worked to arrange funding and two Oklahoma churches committed to each fund one staff member for several years. We anticipated a church launch in September of this year. Last spring that group determined God was leading them to plant a church in Spokane, WA. So, for the last few months we have been searching for someone to lead a new church start.

Eighteen months ago I told one of our Convention Staff that Josh Howeth would be the right person to begin the church but the timing was all wrong. With the group from Texas Tech it didn’t seem it was a problem. When they decided to go to Spokane Josh came back to my mind but I didn’t say anything to him.

In July Josh and I began talking about the college church start. Through various people at various times God laid on his heart that he should be the lead pastor of this new church. Josh and Elizabeth took extensive evaluations, had a six hour interview with Bevin McWhirter, a church planting specialist, and spent three days at an intensive church planting seminar. They also asked a small group to pray with them about God’s leadership. God has confirmed through all of this that He wants Josh to start this church.

So, we have three couples who feel God is leading them to begin a new church in Corvallis, with the express intent of reaching college students for Christ. The great news is that I know and trust each one of them. I’m going to love working with them in the next few years. The difficult part is I’m also going to miss them. They are valued and loved leaders here.

We are working out the transition plans which we will present to you at the December 14th business meeting. Josh will lead our worship for the next few months. The proposed 2012 budget has him moving to part-time in January. We will continue to provide him an office for at least as long as he leads our worship. They will be worshipping with us for months before the new church launches later next year.

I’m excited about what God is going to do through this committed group of young adults. It is an exciting yet overwhelming challenge. Please commit to pray for them as they attempt great things for God. Pray for your church leadership as we pray and plan for the future. I know you have questions; so do I. We will work on answers together as we seek God’s leadership.

I can tell you now we have some needs. We need people to step into leadership roles these are holding. We need people who haven’t been to start tithing to make up the income that will be lost. We need a renewed effort to reach Corvallis for Christ.

Starting a new church is a great way to reach people for Christ. Our helping start this church is a part of our commitment to reach Corvallis but Grant Avenue must continue to find new ways to introduce people to Jesus. We must continue to disciple and grow new believers into fully developing followers of Christ. It’s going to be a challenge and exciting to see what God does.

Northwest Baptist Witness
For years the church provided all members with a copy of the Northwest Baptist Witness, the newsletter of the Northwest Baptist Convention. Beginning in January the Witness will only be available on-line or by email. Please let us know your email address if you want to receive it that way.

Thank you.