I was a pastor for 25 years and was therefore compelled to attend the churches I pastored. The last church I pastored was Bible Covenant Community Church in York, SC. I was there for 20 years. Sadly, when I left BCCC (and not in the best way), I was cast on a sea of uncertainty, without a church home. After a few years of searching we are back at BCCC. The other night I got to thinking about all the churches I attended before returning. Here is the list, in no particular order, with some commentary (some of it surprising).
Faith Assembly of God – I arrived, dressed in jeans, aloha shirt, and flip flops, and instantly realized I was tremendously underdressed! The worship started and it was a song I knew. Immediately, I was overwhelmed with a sea of love and began to weep. After that song, they had announcements and then spent forever explaining how “Casual Sunday” (next week; I was a week early!) would work. Since this went on and on, I left.
Episcopal Church of our Saviour – I knew that Episcopal Churches had communion on Wednesdays and since I hadn’t had communion in a while I woke up early, having worked the night before, and went to the 10 am service. Worst church service I ever remember attending. Good thing the pastor didn’t stand at the door that day and ask how I liked it – I was prepared to tell him!
St Anne Catholic – What? Yeah. I was working every Sunday morning as a security guard and unable to go to church. One Sunday I began flipping through the channels looking for a church service to watch. Security guards lead such exciting lives – Saturday and Sunday, I was there, but no one else. I found Notre Dame Church, it was in English, so I’m pretty sure it was somewhere in the US. I downloaded the liturgy and began to follow along as best I could. One Sunday night after work, I stumbled upon St. Anne’s broadcast. It was the same service! I began attending their 5 pm Saturday service. And you know what? God was there! I would often just cry through the service. First time that happened was in the processional. They begin each service with the priest, and all his helpers for the day, marching down the aisle, carrying the crucifix. First time there, he began to walk down the aisle, and I was overwhelmed by the presence of the Lord. They had a small praise team and the worship was rather folksy. Say what you will about the Catholic Church, they read more Bible in each service than any other church I attended did in a month.
The Body – A Church for Anybody I never did care for the name - A Church for Anybody, I always thought it should be A Church for Everybody. Very disorganized service and the pastor admitted, with some pride, that he did not read (didn’t like to read). You could tell.
New River Community Church. First Baptist. Calvary Chapel Ft Mill (I thought I was going to hear a word of prophecy for me). Ft. Mill Church of God.
North Rock Hill – tried this church several times. Never did feel comfortable. Came home one Sunday and told Mary and one of my daughters, “Next week, if I say I’m going there, smack me or something.” A different daughter was now attending this church and I would occasionally go to be with them. One day, for the last song, they sang Promises (Desperation Band). Man, did God ever minister to me that day. Once again I was weeping like a willow tree!
Westminster Presbyterian & Ebenezer ARP – I learned that Presbyterians like to talk. They talk about every song they are going to sing before they sing it, then a little more after they sing it.
Rogers Memorial ARP – contemporary service. We sorta liked it until the day the Pastor explained, “You got all of the Holy Spirit you’re ever going to get when you were saved. There’s nothing more to expect or pray for. That’s where we stand on that.” OK.
Steele Creek Church at Charlotte – too far to drive every Sunday
Lakeshore Christian Fellowship – Great worship. Awful preaching.
Carolinas Cornerstone Church – hard to get to and thoroughly Baptist
Grace Ministries – a church on the extreme south side of Rock Hill. I went a couple of times. Very similar to BCCC. Good church, just so far away
theGathering – a C&MA church in Ft Mill. They have two pastors who take turns preaching, as in every other week. We attended a few times. One Sunday after the service I questioned the pastor about something he had said and he went off on me! Mary asked me, “What did you do?”. I said, “Nothing that merited that response.” When we got home I had an e-mail from the pastor apologizing for what he had done and explaining that he always has a hard time with questions after he preaches. That was strange, so we didn’t go back.
Ultimate Life Church – this was just down the parking lot from theGathering. Both of them have odd meeting locations, in a business park. When we would leave theGathering we could see their parking lot. It looked like a happenin’ place so we gave it a try. It is a charismatic church, but more along the lines of a prosperity church, and they were all dressed to the nines. The worship was very forced and the teaching was sorry. The teaching was on Romans 8:28, And we know all things work together for good to them that love God He proceeded to re-write the verse and remove any hope and assurance the verse offers – “ All things does not mean everything, but only the good things God is doing in you” and so on.
Eternal Church – this is a contemporary church plant in Ft Mill by Westminster Church. Meets in the Y. I’m sure they are a good church, just nothing clicked.
Calvary Chapel of Rock Hill - the pastor is a friend of ours but I don’t believe in a secret, pre-trib rapture and he does, so I knew I wouldn’t have many opportunities
Which leads us back to BCCC! (to the tune “Do, a deer, a female deer…”)
Long list, ain’t it? And to think, I had people chastising me because I wasn’t in church. I admit, at first I (we) was looking to find a church like BCCC - God had surely blessed us and we had a sweet fellowship, and nobody did church like we did. But I realized that wasn’t realistic. Then I confess, it was a little discouraging seeing the state of the church in Rock Hill. The irony is, I would not go to a church in another town because I wanted a local church, and here we are going to a church in York!
Don’t know why I got to thinking about this but I did. Took me two nights to get the list (hopefully) complete!
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