PULPIT PALS
Two OKC area pastors foster friendship, bring congregations together despite pandemic
Two pastors are forging a friendship and nurturing relationships between their church members in the midst of challenging times for clergy and houses of worship.
The Rev. Rick Thompson, who is white, serves as senior pastor of a mostly white congregation at Council Road Baptist Church in Bethany, while the Rev. Rodney Payne, who is Black, serves as senior pastor of a mostly Black congregation at Bethlehem Star Baptist Church in northeast Oklahoma City.
The two said they became friends in recent months and decided to move forward with plans to bring their churches together — despite the pandemic and all the ways it has changed everyday life.
The pair said their efforts are already starting to pay dividends in terms of the growth of their own friendship and the excitement their congregations have expressed about getting to know one another.
Payne will preach in person at two worship services on Aug. 23 at Council Road Baptist, 2900 N Council.
In the past few months, the two ministers have had conversations about different issues that were livestreamed to both their congregations.
One of the chats was abut the meaning of justice from a biblical perspective and Thompson said he was excited to see members of both churches interacting online as the dialogues took place.
The men said their young adult leaders have met in the hopes of planning an activity at some future date. About a month ago, Payne's Bethlehem Star worship team led worship for a joint online worship service at Council Road Baptist. However, Aug. 23 will be the first time that either of the men has preached in-person at the other's church.
“He's going to make me do this solo,” Payne said, joking.
Ultimately, the preachers said they are part of a brotherhood based on their spiritual connection as Christians.
“Rodney and I are preaching the same Gospel. We serve the same Lord. We read the same book. We are brothers in Christ,” Thompson said. “As brothers in Christ, our brotherhood supersedes anything else that might get in the way.”
The two set off on their current path at a breakfast in the spring, not knowing that the world was about to undergo a time of great upheaval.
Forging ahead
The ministers first met about four years ago while they were waiting to go on a Christian TV show. The two saw each other again on March 12 at the OK Justice's Circle's “Breaking Bread” breakfast at Mount St. Olive Baptist Church.
The meal was designed to bring religious leaders of different races together to have candid discussions about racism and barriers that divide instead of unite people. OK Justice Circle members asked attendees to find someone they didn't know well and and plan to have a meal together. The two preachers were seated at the same table and vowed to get together for lunch.
Neither man knew that they would be closing their churches just a few days later to limit the spread of COVID19. They didn't realize that metro area cities would soon
shut down, with the exception of essential businesses like grocery stories.
When they did understand that they had picked a tough time to develop a friendship, the two forged ahead anyway. They had weekly meals together and eventually included their wives into their fellowship.
Then, protests against police brutality and racial injustice erupted around the country after George Floyd, a Black man, died after white police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes.
The civil unrest has inspired people across the country to engage in more discussions about hot button topics of race and inequality. The ministers felt the societal turmoil added an urgency to their plans to bring their two congregations together.
They said it has taken a lot of
planning because worship services and church functions aren't held in the same ways they were before the pandemic. “I think that's the shining spot about our relationship. In the middle of all that's been taken away, we've somehow managed to establish relationships. That's the blessing,” Payne said.
`Part of the solution'
The ministers said they feel they are fostering relationships that they hope will lead to more interracial dialogue and friendships. “We are similarly minded in mission. The key is we had to be intentional to make it happen,” Payne said.
“The urgency for me is there's two sides of this equation — part of the problem, part of the solution. And it's my belief that in order to be part of the solution we have to be proactive about building relationships — because what we're experiencing can only be overcome by love. Justice isn't going to happen without love. If we all say that we represent the same Christ, we should have some things in common. Our lifestyles may be different, our menus may be different, our choice of music may be different but our Christ is the same.”
Payne said instead of being reactionary, he'd like to see the two churches be part of “the solution long term. ... We wanted to build some long-term relationships that go beyond the commotion, go beyond an event,” he said.
Thompson agreed.
“People just need to take the risk of loving one another and I'm talking about cross culturally,” he said. “My members have really been inspired by this and can't wait to cultivate this friendship. Hopefully, this will inspire others churches to do the same thing.”
Plans for the future
Payne said he hopes to have Thompson preach at one of Bethlehem Star's worship services. The church has yet to reopen since the March shutdown so Thompson may ending preaching a virtual sermon to the Bethlehem Star congregation.
Beyond that, the pair have planned a special joint event in downtown Oklahoma City. They have reserved an area in the Myriad Gardens to host an event on Nov. 29 to kick off the Advent season.