Churches face many challenges today, regardless of geographical context. Churches in small towns and rural settings in Southwest Virginia are no exception. Many small towns are losing families to larger towns that offer better jobs and more opportunities. As a result, many churches are in decline, with shrinking congregations, dwindling finances, and few to no baptisms each passing year. Adding to the challenge is attracting and keeping pastors.
Revitalization
Church revitalization is a key topic these days. It has many different models and theories, but what we have come to know is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Just as each geographical situation is different, so are churches.
For East Stone Gap Baptist Church in Wise County, revitalization has become a reality. They are seeing an uptrend in measurable metrics. Attendance at worship, in youth ministry, membership, and baptisms has increased. They finished 2025 with more than 25 baptisms celebrated. To put this into perspective, those baptized represent 25 percent of the total worship attendance.
What are they doing?
What is their strategy? What have they changed? Actually, it’s not what they’ve changed, but what they have been faithfully doing all along. What they are experiencing is the fruit of faithfulness—the fruit of God’s faithfulness. When we stay faithfully where God has placed us, doing what He has given us to do, He will, in the fullness of time, pour out His faithfulness in our work.
Pastor Lonnie Brooks is beginning his 23rd year at East Stone Gap Baptist Church. Pastor Lonnie said, “When God called me here, I committed myself to stay here, to raise my family here, and to not look for somewhere else to go.” He further explained, “I made it a point to pastor everyone that the Lord gave me, whether they were ready to join the church or not. So, I have loved them and looked after them as though they had.” Brooks has always prioritized preaching and teaching God’s Word accurately and faithfully each week. Through this pastor’s long, faithful tenure, God is now able to show His faithfulness.
It’s not only the pastor but also the faithful ministry leaders God has placed around him over the years—such as John Slagle, who has faithfully ministered to youth for a decade. They are seeing the fruit of those years today in young people surrendering their lives to Christ and being baptized. It is their faithfulness, serving and seeking God over the years, from which He is now bringing revival.
Faithful partnerships
Brooks acknowledges that neither he nor the church has gone it alone through these years. In fact, a healthy relationship with a partner who is faithful to the Word of God and the Great Commission, such as the SBC of Virginia (SBCV), has been essential. Their commitment to coming alongside the local church to resource, train, equip, and encourage has been instrumental. Brooks recalled early on, shortly after partnering with the SBCV, that they were able to provide monetary support for a much-needed feeding ministry the church had been struggling to operate. Through faithful partnerships, the faithfulness of God shows that they are not alone.
Every church in every context has its challenges and struggles, but there is something beautiful that happens when folks bloom where God has planted them. “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV)
