Parkway Baptist Church in Pascagoula, Mississippi is a Story that is ever-unfolding in the hearts of local Jackson County Mississippi Baptists.
Most recently, our dear friend and co-laborer in ministry, Pastor Martin Britt, served this church faithfully while fighting his own personal battle with terminal cancer. Martin had previously worked in Christian Counseling and touched thousands of lives during that career. He was an impeccable Bible teacher, especially on the themes of Heaven, the Second Coming of Christ, and the Kingdom of God.
Martin left us for Heaven on September 6th and left an indelible legacy at Parkway and across the Mississippi Coast. We are forever grateful for his ministry.
As I worked alongside Martin this summer, it became painfully obvious to us both that Parkway was in dire need of a music minister, as they had been struggling to fill that position for the past few years. Sunday morning services had become sparsely filled with soloists, worship videos, and sometimes special music guests; but, as all who love to gather in worship realize, it’s just not the same as ‘live’ worship with a worship leader and a musically gifted team to lead you every week.
In July, I offered to fill that gap as a solo worship leader, singing from the piano, leading a few worship songs and hymns for the few dozen Sunday morning worshipers. The moments were sweet and somewhat somber as we all knew Martin’s days with us were soon coming to a close here on earth. The worship team at Church on the Rock Pascagoula would soon join me on Sunday mornings — quickly working through our 9:15am sound check, loading up our cars to trek up the road to Parkway (( less than a 5-minute drive )), lead a 3-or-4 song set of songs for Parkway, then scoot back to COTR for our 11am start time.
We have continued to follow that Sunday Morning pattern since Martin’s homegoing to Heaven and our lives have been supremely blessed and changed for it. We love the folks at Parkway, and they are loving us in return by singing, increasing in attendance and participation, and affirming us weekly with their appreciation.
I first heard the term “music missions” during the Brownsville Revival, when my mentor and friend Lindell Cooley, founded his worship ministry label as such. Martin and I both loved Lindell’s music and we are both avid students of revival in the Church. We discussed ‘kingdom’ principles all the time, and how that the various congregations in our cities must somehow find the way to work together, as is the model of the Kingdom of God, to bring about unity, revival, and missions for the salvation of lost souls, hurting souls, and broken people.
We believe that “music missions” is coming to fruition through our music ministry efforts at Parkway and across our Mississippi Coast.
Parkway Baptist Church is in a season of grief, but not without Hope! Parkway is a beautifully diverse congregation of people from very different socio-economic backgrounds who have loved one another through the death of their beloved pastor, through the trials of a changing congregational dynamic, and who are now walking through the “refreshing” of a new and wonderful Hope that God will revive them for His glory, and for the increase of His Kingdom.
I would ask these immediate prayer requests;
- PRAY for Parkway Baptist Church … as they love one another, as they re-evaluate their opportunities for ministry, and as they seek pastoral leadership in the days ahead.
- GIVE if you are able … to our Music Missions efforts as we serve Parkway, Church on the Rock, and other local small town churches who are diligently searching for worship leaders and worship pastors.
- ATTEND a Sunday worship service with us if you are near the Gulf Coast! The folks at Parkway and Church on the Rock are a beautifully diverse “family” of sister churches, loving one another, serving one another, and unifying our community.
Click here to GIVE NOW … simply memo your gift: “Parkway Missions”.
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