My first question was, “Where’s Clyde, North Carolina?”
When Dave Wright, executive director of WCA Church Relations, told me New Covenant Church (NCC) in Clyde, North Carolina was doing an interesting prison ministry in their community, I had never heard of the place. With a population of 1,250, Clyde is located deep in the Smoky Mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway and is part of Haywood County (population 60,000). That positions Clyde in the middle of the Bible Belt – a friend told me it was the buckle!
I contacted Pastor Nick Honerkamp and arranged to visit the church, learn about its prison ministry and to learn about how he sees the Global Leadership Summit (GLS). He agreed and graciously allowed us to set up our motor home in the church parking lot.
He ended up being one of the most amazing leaders I’ve ever met.
As I spent time with Pastor Nick over the next couple of days, he said Haywood County was home to about 200 churches that were spiritually divided back in 2008. He had a vision to change that. In addition to leading his own church, Pastor Nick sees his role as being a community bridge-builder and spends much of his week working with leaders from all sectors of the community to build ministry coalitions to help meet community needs.
Building Bridges Through Prayer
The next morning, Pastor Nick and I attended a prayer meeting for local pastors. It was held at “The Fig Tree,” a building erected to create a space for community prayer. It is unaffiliated with any single church by intention. The doors are open twice a day for two hours, five days a week. All are invited to come and pray for the shared concerns of the community. Different churches often provide worship music and, typically, five to 20 people are present. No one leads, but everyone prays!
Building Bridges for a Common Mission
Later, Pastor Nick took me to the county jail.
Three years ago, the jail housed 120 prisoners and officials were facing the need to add more cells at a cost of $1,000,000. A few months after a member of NCC was elected sheriff, he called a meeting with county and town officials, key business leaders, social service agency leaders and area pastors.
The sheriff proposed that the assembled leaders begin working together, using private funds, to turn a shut-down federal prison into a homeless shelter, half-way house and soup kitchen. And they did it.
Now, when former prisoners arrive at the new transitional housing, they are greeted by loving church members and encouraged to work with area social agencies that help them find jobs. Last year, 156 prisoners were baptized in the jail—more than at any church in the county!
Today, because of the collaboration across sectors in this community, only 90 prisoners are housed in the county jail. Officials recently closed an annex that housed 30 inmates, saving taxpayers over $1,500, per day!
Later in the week, I went to The Fig Tree and entered into a time of prayer. I asked myself, What was the turning point at the jail? Was it that churches came together for community prayer? Or was it the willingness of leaders from different sectors throughout the region to come together in for a common mission?
Both. It had to be both. The key was these people rejected the silo mentality and built bridges to one another. By engaging leaders from all sectors of the community and building ministry coalitions, Pastor Nick created a regional movement of transformation.
At NCC’s Sunday worship service (approximately 800 people), members seemed abundantly aware they are called to make a difference in their community. And Pastor Nick believes that leadership is at the center of every issue.
He said, “When you are led by faith and bring together leaders from all over your community into a faith-filled environment, unusual things happen. I work to get as many leaders from our community into the GLS. It’s awesome to be a part of what happens next.”
We were blessed and in awe of this amazing church and its leader! We planned to visit for one night and stayed eight.
So why is NCC different from other churches?
I have come to believe it is because they see themselves as bridge-builders who create a spirit of collaboration throughout their community.
They have a generous spirit of giving freely to others.
They have a love for one another and their community.
They are dedicated to prayer.
And they have a leader with a steadfast commitment to follow Jesus no matter where He leads.
Dennis Baril
Former Senior Pastor | Community Covenant Church (Rehoboth, MA)Bridge-Building in Clyde, North Carolina
Published January 17, 2017TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE
Church & Faith-BasedLeading OrganizationsWhen Dave Wright, executive director of WCA Church Relations, told me New Covenant Church (NCC) in Clyde, North Carolina was doing an interesting prison ministry in their community, I had never heard of the place. With a population of 1,250, Clyde is located deep in the Smoky Mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway and is part of Haywood County (population 60,000). That positions Clyde in the middle of the Bible Belt – a friend told me it was the buckle!
I contacted Pastor Nick Honerkamp and arranged to visit the church, learn about its prison ministry and to learn about how he sees the Global Leadership Summit (GLS). He agreed and graciously allowed us to set up our motor home in the church parking lot.
He ended up being one of the most amazing leaders I’ve ever met.
As I spent time with Pastor Nick over the next couple of days, he said Haywood County was home to about 200 churches that were spiritually divided back in 2008. He had a vision to change that. In addition to leading his own church, Pastor Nick sees his role as being a community bridge-builder and spends much of his week working with leaders from all sectors of the community to build ministry coalitions to help meet community needs.
Building Bridges Through Prayer
The next morning, Pastor Nick and I attended a prayer meeting for local pastors. It was held at “The Fig Tree,” a building erected to create a space for community prayer. It is unaffiliated with any single church by intention. The doors are open twice a day for two hours, five days a week. All are invited to come and pray for the shared concerns of the community. Different churches often provide worship music and, typically, five to 20 people are present. No one leads, but everyone prays!
Building Bridges for a Common Mission
Later, Pastor Nick took me to the county jail.
Three years ago, the jail housed 120 prisoners and officials were facing the need to add more cells at a cost of $1,000,000. A few months after a member of NCC was elected sheriff, he called a meeting with county and town officials, key business leaders, social service agency leaders and area pastors.
The sheriff proposed that the assembled leaders begin working together, using private funds, to turn a shut-down federal prison into a homeless shelter, half-way house and soup kitchen. And they did it.
Now, when former prisoners arrive at the new transitional housing, they are greeted by loving church members and encouraged to work with area social agencies that help them find jobs. Last year, 156 prisoners were baptized in the jail—more than at any church in the county!
Today, because of the collaboration across sectors in this community, only 90 prisoners are housed in the county jail. Officials recently closed an annex that housed 30 inmates, saving taxpayers over $1,500, per day!
Later in the week, I went to The Fig Tree and entered into a time of prayer. I asked myself, What was the turning point at the jail? Was it that churches came together for community prayer? Or was it the willingness of leaders from different sectors throughout the region to come together in for a common mission?
Both. It had to be both. The key was these people rejected the silo mentality and built bridges to one another. By engaging leaders from all sectors of the community and building ministry coalitions, Pastor Nick created a regional movement of transformation.
At NCC’s Sunday worship service (approximately 800 people), members seemed abundantly aware they are called to make a difference in their community. And Pastor Nick believes that leadership is at the center of every issue.
He said, “When you are led by faith and bring together leaders from all over your community into a faith-filled environment, unusual things happen. I work to get as many leaders from our community into the GLS. It’s awesome to be a part of what happens next.”
We were blessed and in awe of this amazing church and its leader! We planned to visit for one night and stayed eight.
So why is NCC different from other churches?
I have come to believe it is because they see themselves as bridge-builders who create a spirit of collaboration throughout their community.
They have a generous spirit of giving freely to others.
They have a love for one another and their community.
They are dedicated to prayer.
And they have a leader with a steadfast commitment to follow Jesus no matter where He leads.
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About the Author(s)
Dennis Baril
Former Senior PastorCommunity Covenant Church (Rehoboth, MA)
Dennis Baril is the former senior pastor of Community Covenant Church in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, where he served in leadership for over 40 years—27 of which were as senior pastor. He and his wife, Donna are traveling around the country, supporting the Global Leadership Summit and seizing on other ministry opportunities as they emerge.