By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
KNOXVILLE — No one can ever accuse Don Pierson of not practicing what he preaches — pray and seek God’s will, then follow it.
For 12 years Pierson served as prayer strategist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention and led prayer revivals and conferences all across the state. He was in high demand.
But in 2013, while leading a prayer conference at Stewarts Chapel Baptist Church in Flintville, Pierson felt an incredible tug of the Holy Spirit to leave the TBC and become the pastor of that small rural church located in William Carey Baptist Association.
“I struggled with leaving convention life, but God kept saying, ‘It’s time.’ ”
Pierson shared some of his story during the recent church revitalization conference held Sept. 1 at Wallace Memorial Baptist Church in Knoxville. He led breakout sessions on how to have a solemn assembly.
According to Pierson, Stewarts Chapel is located in “one of the most remote areas of Lincoln County. There is no growth out this way and none is predicted,” he said. “It’s as rural as it gets.” The nearest large town is Huntsville, Ala., about 45 miles away.
When Pierson became pastor on the last Sunday of October in 2013 the once large church had been in a steady decline. When Pierson arrived attendance had dwindled to below 70, he said.
In addition, the church was in serious debt and the property desperately needed maintenance, he added. “But there was a solid core of believers who loved the Lord and who still held to hope.”
During Pierson’s first year, he baptized 22 new believers. “Almost immediately we began to have lots of visitors and seekers coming our way,” he recalled. The church made paying off its debt a priority and accomplished that goal in just 15 months to become debt free.
One of the first things Pierson noted about his new church was that its prayer life was typical of most Baptist churches. They opened and began services with prayer.
During that first full year some foundational things began to take shape including an increased emphasis on prayer, Pierson related. “A very unique prayer altar developed and the altar began to be filled nearly every service, even during the service itself,” Pierson said. “Now, we have a prayer ministry of intercession with desperation,” he added.
While the church never prayed for revitalization, the culture of prayer that was created helped to revitalize Stewarts Chapel, Pierson said.
He noted the church began reaching people from strong Catholic, Church of Christ, and Pentecostal backgrounds. “We baptized 44 people that year,” he said.
“I have watched God take a church and transform it,” he said. And, the church has kept growing.
In just three years the church has grown from under 70 to an average of 225 in worship this year, he said. The church has started numerous new ministries. During this year the church has seen 54 people baptized, most of them whom have been adults between the ages of 25-35. Since the start of a new church year in September, six more have been baptized and several others are currently awaiting baptism.
He noted that each Sunday brings visiting families and people who drive more than 40 minutes one way to get to the church. “God has been moving nonstop,” Pierson said.
Pierson is quick to point out that he deserves no credit for what has happened at Stewarts Chapel. “God keeps bringing the people to us,” he said.
“The past three years have been the most memorable of my ministry,” Pierson added.


