I am excited that God has brought us to a new season for our ministry. While the COVID pandemic meant CLOSING OFF our church to most of our disciples and to the community, I believe that for Mount Pisgah the post-pandemic season means not so much RE-OPENING, but NEWLY OPENING, that is, opening our church in NEW and EXCITING ways!

The isolation that we experienced during the pandemic created a hunger and thirst, a yearning for the kind of fellowship that we had grown used to experiencing in years past. Now that we have returned to the building, we are trying to make the most of EVERY opportunity that we can for connection, fellowship and strengthening our spiritual bond. However, we are also trying to “OPEN UP” in new ways – ways that meet the needs of the community around us and create opportunities to embrace and include individuals and families that might not be familiar with our special bond as “The Mighty Mount Pisgah.” God is giving us the opportunity to OPEN UP!

I believe that this is imperative for our continued existence as a church. No longer will people come through our doors simply because we are AME, or even because we have good music, good teaching, or good preaching. People are looking for a sense of belonging, a place to find community, as well as encountering, hearing, and growing in God. I think that when we are at our best, Mount Pisgah has a very special atmosphere and character as a church, and if people are given the opportunity to be exposed to it, they will feel the warmth and want to be included.

As many have heard me say, I don’t just want us to be “a church in the community”, but rather “A COMMUNITY CHURCH” – a church that embraces the community, is an integral part of it, and that is valued BY the community. Thus, we are constantly rethinking our worship experience to make it more user friendly, seeking to launch new ministries that meet new needs, and working to make our building more accessible and open to community members and groups. These efforts are making a difference. New disciples are joining, and God is sending us opportunities to host gatherings that empower both church and community.

Let’s do everything that we can to KEEP THIS GOING!! The doors of the church are not just“OPEN AGAIN,” but they are “OPEN ANEW!!” I welcome you to the NEWLY OPENED MOUNT PISGAH!!