Since being called to Spears Creek Baptist in 2023, Pastor Joshua Blythe has grown to love the multigenerational congregation and its vision for “doing life together in Christ.” That regular commitment to loving each other and the community is evidenced by the number of members and families involved in discipleship, missions, and outreach through Spears Creek. Also noteworthy about the Elgin church is that it has been meeting for worship in the same location for more than 240 years.
“I like to put that into context for people – Spears Creek is older than the Constitution of the United States of America,” says Blythe, a self-described ‘history geek.’ “It’s something to rejoice that there has been a body of believers in this community throughout that time period making sure the gospel is known here.”
Today, Blythe is continuing to lead the congregation to pursue God’s unique call for them. The Raleigh, N.C., native holds undergraduate and seminary degrees from Liberty University but preached his first sermon at age 16 for a youth emphasis Sunday at his home church, Mount Vernon Baptist. He met his future wife Kristen while growing up there, and the couple now has three children – Emma, Enoch, and Hope. Prior to the call to Spears Creek, Blythe and his family served in several North Carolina churches including, most recently, on staff at Mount Vernon.
Those eight years at Blythe’s home church proved to be a “great period of growth and development. A lot of godly, seasoned people poured into us there.” As the couple prayed about where they were being led next, Blythe says they saw God “knitting our hearts together” first with the Spears Creek search team and then the congregation itself. The church’s former pastor, Greg Sweet, had announced his retirement but pledged to remain until a new pastor was found.
“His last Sunday was the end of May 2023, and my first Sunday was about a month later,” Blythe recalls. “I’ve never been a part of a transition like this, with someone who would hand off a ministry in this way. The Sweets are a blessing to us, we consider them friends.”
Blythe also compliments the entire Spears Creek church staff as being crucial to leading such a healthy and missional congregation, that is located in a developing area just off Interstate 20. In the coming years, the church looks forward to serving several new subdivisions and apartment complexes, welcoming new neighbors into the church family. But in the meantime, God is preparing new leaders and working in the lives of members of all ages.
“Young and middle-aged people who have been here for a few years are stepping out to make commitments to serve, and we are seeing many empty nesters and senior adults choosing to serve with children and students. It’s a blessing to see them pass their experience and maturity on to the next generation,” Blythe reports.
In the last year, Spears Creek baptized nine people and welcomed 23 new members. The church is seeing young families become involved, too. A new Sunday morning young adult small group is steadily growing. Blythe notes there are several schools nearby and Spears Creek partners with a local elementary Good News Club, which has been an avenue for several families to join the church. The popular Wednesday night supper is well-attended and where many people make personal connections, then about 75 children stay to participate in Awana and about 30 teenagers attend student ministry activities.
Blythe sees Sunday morning worship as another way the church is engaging the community. “In our church, we gather together and worship as a family, with a desire to bless God’s heart through our worship. Young people appreciate and want this, and I think they see that when they visit with us.”
Moving forward, Spears Creek will be led to focus on being a church that “makes the best use of our time, resources, and relationships,” and Blythe prays that members would be “gracious in speech, seasoned with salt, and have answers for people” they engage from the community.
“People don’t care what the church actually does, they care why you do it. If the ‘why’ is in place, then the answer from God’s Word will be there, and God will open doors as they trust you to speak into their hearts through His Word,” Blythe says of his mission, before adding that “it’s an exciting time here. I am enjoying what God is doing today, I’m prayerfully expectant for what He might do in the future, and how we can be in line for His will for that.”