August 6, 2001
Dwindling church perks up with energy of lay pastor
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___BROOKSTON--When Don Parker retired in 1995, the last thing he ever planned to do was become a pastor.
___He always had enjoyed teaching the Bible and doing a little lay preaching when he had the opportunity.
___"I figured if I can prepare a 30-minute Sunday School lesson and teach it, surely I couldprepare a message and deliver it," he explained.
DON PARKER adjusts letters on the sign outside Brookston Baptist Church announcing Vacation Bible School--one of several community outreach ministries the church has revived since calling the layman as their pastor. (Photo by Ken Camp)
___But after 29 years in the wholesale food business and nine years as head custodian for a Dallas-area school district, he just wanted to return to his boyhood hometown of Paris, where he could golf, fish and putter in the garden.
___A couple of years ago, Parker was on his way to preach at another church in the area when he passed through Brookston, a community of 168 residents about 14 miles from his home in Paris.
___He noticed that the Baptist church building there appeared empty. So he contacted Warren Hart, director of missions for Red River Valley Baptist Association, to ask about it.
___He learned that Brookston Baptist Church was without a pastor. Each Sunday afternoon, the pastor at nearby Roxton First Baptist Church was leading a Bible study for the three remaining members at Brookston.
___Thinking that took care of the matter, Parker did not pursue it further. But soon afterward, he received a call from the Roxton pastor. He told Parker he would not be able to continue the Sunday afternoon Bible studies indefinitely.
___"He invited me to come out and look around at the church, but I put him off," Parker recalled.
___A few days later, Parker was reading the New Testament during his morning devotions. He came across a passage in which God promised that no matter how humble a gift might be, he would honor it and bless it. Parker immediately applied the verse to the opportunity for service that was open at Brookston.
___Initially, he planned to continue a Sunday afternoon Bible study, just to help the longtime members keep the church doors _open. But after visiting the church and taking a close look at the surrounding area, he recognized the potential for a healthy, vibrant church in the community.
___Brookston Baptist Church now draws close to a dozen people each week for Sunday School and up to 20 for Sunday morning worship. The church also offers an informal Sunday evening Bible study and a Wednesday evening service focusing exclusively on intercessory prayer.
___Parker is the church's volunteer lay pastor.
___In addition to restoring regular services, he led the church to make its facility available to the Paris Library for a weekday summer reading program for children, and he is exploring other ways the church can become involved in community ministry.
___"There's a fairly large number of people just north of the church, mostly young families who are moving out of Paris into the country," he said. "This may not ever be a 200-member church, but I feel like it does have a lot of potential to grow."
___Growth is slow, but it is steady. In the first half of this year, Parker baptized five people, including a mother and her teenage son.
___It's a sight that warms the heart of Lucille Larkin, known as Mrs. Mac to everyone in the community. Mrs. Mac has been a member of Brookston Baptist Church since 1954.
___She remembers happy days, when Brookston was a small but thriving farm community, and the church was alive with activity. Those were days when she taught a children's Sunday School class and helped lead Vacation Bible School.
___But Mrs. Mac also has other memories. She recalls the demise of the community, and she remembers when differences of opinion led to division in the church.
___Because of that history, Parker found he had a few obstacles to overcome when he arrived at the church. He found trust had to be rebuilt, and respect had to be earned.
___"The only way to get people back is to love them back," Parker said. "After I responded to a couple of midnight calls to go to the hospital, that helped build confidence. People found out I was sincere, and I was here to stay."
___Another hurdle was simply having enough people to provide leadership for programs and enough income to pay the utility bills. Parker said he now has a core group of eight adults, and the church has a little bit of money in the bank.
___To help stabilize the congregation, the church has reverted to mission status with First Baptist Church of Paris as the sponsoring congregation, and after a brief time, Parker refused to allow Brookston to pay him a salary.
___Since Brookston Baptist Church became a mission and entered a covenant relationship with the Baptist General Convention of Texas Church Starting Center, Parker has received some limited financial assistance, provided through the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions. That helps keep his car running and provides for a few other incidental expenses.
___He and his wife, Gloria, recently applied with the BGCT to become Mission Service Corps volunteers. Texas Baptist gifts to the Mary Hill Davis Offering also make possible the orientation, training and mobilization of volunteers in that program.
___Asked if his status as a layman had limited his ability to minister in any way, he responded, "I can't marry anybody, but that's about it."
___In fact, he said, one of his greatest frustrations is thinking about all the laity who could help struggling churches by filling leadership positions.
___"There are so many people who are sitting in the pews who could fill this job and do this work. They're just not making themselves available to the Lord to be used," he said.
___"There are a lot of things laymen could do if they would."
___
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