New church plant moves forward despite pandemic
The idea of planting a church in the midst of a pandemic seemed a little daunting— but doable.
The Rev. Casey Shutt and a core group of people from City Presbyterian planted a new church in March, just as shelter-in-place restrictions were being implemented.
Nevertheless, Shutt and his group launched King's Cross Church, and it is thriving.
“Our plan was to begin weekly worship on March 29, but as everything began shutting down — schools, colleges, restaurants, sports — we had a decision to make: Should we start at a time when everything else is stopping?” he said.
Shutt, the church's pastor, and his group of about 100 people forged ahead with live virtual services offered on
Sunday mornings via YouTube Live.
“It dawned on us all that we had a real moment to begin,” he said.
They are leasing space at Lone Star Baptist Church, 1805 E Hefner Road, where they will host worship services at 4 p.m. each Sunday once they determine that they can meet social distancing, sanitizing and other COVID-19 safety requirements for houses of worship.
The tentative date for the first in-person worship service is May 24.
King's Cross, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America denomination, expects to draw individuals and families from the northeast Oklahoma City/ southeast Edmond/Oakdale area. He said his core group is made up of about 40 families, and the church's online services are attracting between 130 and 200 views, so he thinks it is drawing some viewers who may be less likely to visit the church in person. Shutt said they already have gained one new family that they have never met in person.
Shutt said he sees the visiting viewers and his core group's faithfulness as a sign that planting the church during the coronavirus crisis met a need.
“We concluded that we would move forward, and even began to realize that a global pandemic is actually an important time to begin a church,” he said. “After all, church history suggests
that the Church does some of its best work in moments of crisis, such as the time we find ourselves in.”
And Shutt said the church is pressing on.
In addition to weekly worship services, the church's student minister, Jake Schulte, has been meeting with youths twice a week via Zoom, and the church has a weekly prayer meeting via Zoom. Families recently received “care kits” that contained books, stationary and outreach cards intended to help neighbors with grocery trips and other necessary errands.
Blessed send-off
Shutt, 40, and his wife, Sarah, have three children, and he said the new church has many families like his, as well as single individuals and older adults.
The idea to plant the church came when one of the couple's City Presbyterian small group gatherings attracted 84 people in spring 2018. Shutt said he served as a pastoral intern at City Presbyterian, and the Rev. Doug Serven, the church's lead pastor, liked his idea of launching a new church.
The group began preparing
with fundraising and meetings in June 2019 and began meeting for weekly Bible study in January 2020.
Meanwhile, Serven said King's Cross Church is the second church that has been planted by City Presbyterian, which he started with Bobby Griffith in 2011. The church, which meets at 829 NW 13 in Midtown, also launched Shawnee Presbyterian Church. Serven said they are also proud of helping launch Restore OKC, a faith-based community development agency.
“The Lord keeps blessing us, stretching us and expanding
us,” he said.
Serven said the new churches may carry City Presbyterian DNA, but they are not satellites, more like “daughters, which means they have their own pastors, own elders and deacons. We're connected but not by screens.”
Serven said church plants are healthy signs.
“They do involve pain: departures, budget change, staffing, volunteers,” he said. “But God's work and mission — the Gospel Good News that Christ saves sinners — is ever expanding and should not either shrink nor be hoarded.”