Like many congregations, Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in Jamestown, Kentucky, faced significant challenges in 2020. As the pandemic forced temporary closures, the church was also reeling from its pastor’s resignation. Over the following two years, membership declined sharply; with an initial average attendance of only 40–50 people, the loss was deeply felt. Eventually, a typical Sunday service saw only five or six people in the pews.
In July 2022, Randy Smith, a retired social worker and experienced bivocational pastor, was appointed as the church’s new leader. He and his wife, Karen, initially arrived to serve on an interim basis. Before his arrival, Mount Vernon relied on the dedication of interim leaders and steadfast members like treasurer Joan Wheat and clerk Gayla Antle. These individuals kept the doors open, teaching Sunday school and leading children’s ministry. When Mickey Ballenger—whose parents were lifelong members—became the only man remaining in the congregation, he assumed all physical upkeep of the building. Recognizing the vital link between post-pandemic pastor wellbeing and community connection, Smith’s arrival marked a definitive turning point.
“Whatever needed to be done, they did it because there was no one else to do it,” Smith says. He emphasizes the necessity to know your community for growth, a principle he is now actively implementing to revitalize the congregation.
Today, the church is seeing brighter days. Not only does Mount Vernon have a pastor in Smith, but it recently elected its first elder after going without any for four years. And attendance numbers have steadily climbed.
Karen Smith credits much of that growth to how well the longtime members have welcomed new, younger members., Both groups have proven they’re willing to compromise and adapt.
“They’re very encouraging of the younger folks,” she says of Wheat and Antle. “Joan is always telling them, ‘I want to teach you because we need to keep everything moving.’”
Says Smith of all the church members, “They work together, not against each other. Our youngest daughter is in her 30s, and she is doing kids’ ministry. Older members are supportive and excited to have her, and have been willing to do the kinds of things with the kids she has suggested.”
Mount Vernon has also adopted technology to connect its older and younger members. They created a Facebook presence and put Sunday services on Facebook Live. Smith puts out a video devotion every weekday, and the church sends out daily Scriptures and devotions via text. Both Smiths lead group texts for men and women, respectively, to share Scripture and prayer requests.
“We’ve been able to reach people who actually don’t go to church anywhere,” Smith says, “and we’ve reached 30–40 people eventually through the week who will come and watch our service.”
Because Jamestown is a rural community dominated by farming and factory work, church members are spread out across large distances. Couple that with busy schedules, and it can be challenging for people to meet in person. To overcome this, the church has used Google Meet to host discipleship groups.
And when some members have experienced internet connectivity issues or (especially for some older members) difficulties using technology, the church has used conference calls and offered phone call or texting options.
“That has opened the door to a lot of opportunities. One discipleship group has led to another and another,” says Smith. “You can really see a lot of growth in those who are involved in them.”
But the church still embraces all the “low-tech” stuff that’s always worked in the past: fall festivals, Christmas programs, lots of craft activities for kids around the holidays, Easter egg hunts, invitations sent out to the community, bags of food for people in need and new families in the area. Mount Vernon maintains a small food pantry that all members have a key to access.
“It really has been a blessing for a lot of people,” Smith says. “I know some would not have eaten if we didn’t have that little pantry. It helps stretch the monthly budget out for people.”
It’s ministries like the food pantry that make a big difference in a rural community like Jamestown. It’s those same things that have helped the church stay close to its 204-year history. But Mount Vernon, whose tagline is “A small church with a big heart,” also embraces new ways to better reach the next generation with the message of the gospel.
“We kind of mesh together the old and the new,” Smith says. “The best way to put it is that our church is openhearted and open-minded.”