Jefferson County Baptists use local cemetery to provide BKC/VBS
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org
Sharon Sartain of East Ridge Baptist Church, Dandridge, shares a Bible story with Nevaeh Kerr.
JEFFERSON CITY — John Pinkston served as interim associational missionary for Jefferson County Baptist Association for more than a year before he agreed to accept the position full time.
In doing so, he left the pastorate of Buffalo Grove Baptist Church where he had served for nearly 30 years. Why? Pinkston had a sincere desire to help smaller churches in the association realize the potential they have in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ across the county. “My purpose is to help smaller churches grow and the association has embraced that,” he said.
This summer, the association’s mission team decided that instead of going on a trip outside Tennessee or overseas, they would take the gospel throughout Jefferson City.
While most of the association’s churches have helped in one way or another, two of Jefferson County’s smallest churches have taken hold of the project to conduct four Backyard Kids Clubs or Vacation Bible Schools in areas of the county that needed a gospel presence, Pinkston said.
The two primary churches — East Ridge Baptist in Dandridge and Mullins Chapel Missionary Baptist in Dandridge — have a combined membership of approximately 11 people and all are involved in helping to lead the events for the children.
The two churches (with help from Central Heights Baptist, Deep Springs Baptist and Antioch Baptist) have completed three of the BKC/VBS events with one more to complete. Most of the events so far have targeted children in trailer parks who often are unable to attend church for various reasons, Pinkston said.
John Pinkston, right, associational missionary for Jefferson County Baptist Association, visits with Mike Coffey, a deacon and interim pastor at Mullins Chapel Missionary Baptist Church.
“Our theme has been ‘To the Highways and the Hedges,’ ” Pinkston said. The BKC/VBS has focused on the creation to Christ and the cross and His return, he noted.
The associational missionary observed that the children’s events have been “a culture shock” for many of the leaders who have assisted. “A large number of the children we have talked with have no church background or real knowledge of who Christ is,” he said. That has opened the eyes of those who thought of Jefferson County as “the buckle of the Bible belt,” Pinkston added.
The association’s third BKC/VBS was held in a cemetery adjacent to a trailer park on the outskirts of Jefferson City. “When we approached the cemetery, I was skeptical,” Pinkston admitted. Cemetery officials, however, responded with “excitement and encouragement” and it proved to be an excellent location, convenient to the children who could walk to the event from their homes, he added.
Clarissa Coffey, left, of Mullins Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Dandridge, leads a worship song at a recent BKC/VBS held in a local cemetery in Jefferson City.
Michael Coffey, a deacon and interim pastor of Mullins Chapel, said the events for the children “have been a mission trip” for the church. “I am trying to help them see that being a Missionary Baptist Church means that we use our talents, time and treasure,” he said.
“We wanted to make the name (Mullins Chapel Missionary Baptist Church) mean something. We wanted to take Christ to the communities where the children are,” Coffey said.
He noted that with the help of other churches they have been able to get the Word of God out to children so they can learn about Jesus. “It just makes sense to do it,” he said.
Attendance at the events have ranged from 20 to 30 or more, Pinkston said. What’s more, there have been at least five professions of faith by children in addition to seeds sown for both children and some adults who have attended and heard the gospel. “We have shared the gospel with several adults,” he said.
Jessica Coffey, right, of Mullins Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Dandridge, chats with children about what they have learned during a recent BKC/VBS held in a local Jefferson City cemetery near a trailer park community. Children, from left, are Emily Grajales, Brianna Dawson and Khloe Coffey.
Coffey was thrilled with the number of salvations. “We are hoping for more but even if we don’t (get more), we are planting seeds that hopefully bloom into salvations,” he said, adding that the Bible “teaches us that His Word will not return void.”
Sharon Sartain, whose husband, Tommy, is pastor of East Ridge, helped with the coordination of the children’s events and noted it has been a total team effort by all those involved. “It has been a blessing and encouragement to see kids come and participate and want to learn,” she said.
For Sartain, this year’s events have been the culmination of a desire that began in her heart several years ago when she learned about BKC from Tennessee Baptist Mission Board staff member Vicki Hulsey during a WMU event.
“With the help of many churches, we have worked together to do this,” she affirmed. B&R
