ELIZABETHTOWN, N.Y. (BP) – The Adirondack Mountains are one of the more beautiful places in the country for camping, hiking and overall enjoying God’s creation. They are also located in one of the more difficult places to plant and lead a church.
Josh Bennett knows this.
The pastor has seen the buildings around town that were formerly a church but are now art galleries or homes. When he sought interest in another church selling its building to Life Church, which he leads, that congregation gave a flat rejection upon learning they were evangelical. The city council voted down Bennett’s predecessor, Jeremiah Brinkman, when Life Church’s then-pastor approached them about offering a free soccer clinic.
There are two “walls” to clear when it comes to having a Gospel conversation, Bennett said. The second one is presenting the Gospel; the first is getting your foot in the door
“Southern hospitality is a real thing,” he said. “So, it’s pretty easy to get over that first wall. Here, that wall is pretty high. It’s not easy building relationships.”
But if you’re willing to put in the time, it’s worth it.
“I’ve met some of the most wonderful people up here,” said Bennett, a Georgia native who will mark six years at the church in October alongside his wife, Donna, and their daughters, 11 and 13. “But, you have to have patience. You have to be willing to wade through those tough times.”
Many of the small towns and hamlets of upstate New York are populated by those who have lived there for generations and are leery of outsiders. Skin in the game must precede a conversation about the Gospel. To be about the Living Water, get involved in peoples’ lives.
Life Church does that, starting with its location in a small storefront about a block from the main highway.
During weekday mornings, Bennett manages the church’s café that provides coffee and pastries off donations. The same space also serves as the church’s worship area.
Residences are located upstairs, which has led to his preaching behind a mop bucket when a leak caused part of the ceiling to fall in. Residents’ pets have made fleas an issue. Odors sometimes make it evident that neighbors take advantage of New York’s drug laws.
And yet, those thin walls and floors have also been an advantage.
“One day a guy from upstairs came to church,” Bennett said. “I’d never met him, but he said he had been listening to my sermons. He could hear me perfectly clear coming through the floor.”
The church has grown to 20-25 regular attendees with others who connect through various outreach efforts. Two weeks ago, Bennett baptized a man in a swimming pool.
Mission teams have been invaluable to helping with the space, as well as extending Life Church’s impact to others.
When Harmony Grove Baptist Church in Blairsville, Ga., painted the church building, that led to the owners of the building across the street deciding it also needed a new coat of paint. Ebenezer Baptist, also in Blairsville, is a small church that has sent teams to help Life Church during E’town Day, an annual celebration that started in 1998 with the town’s 200th birthday and is the social event of the year.
