Articles for tag: Andy Rector

June 22, 2019

SPOTLIGHT: Crossroads Christian Church, Largo, Fla.

From Mechanic to Minister By Andy Rector “My wife, Beverly, felt a call from God, which she revealed to me, which made me smile,” said Harold Kellermier, pastor with Crossroads Christian Church in Largo, Florida. “[That] led [me] to a seat in a local Bible college at 44 years old.” Up until then, Kellermier had managed the vehicle-maintenance department for the local school system. In 2010, at 48, he was asked to become part of the staff at Crossroads. “I left the world of mechanics, finished school, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies.” But once again, Kellermier’s

March 25, 2019

Christian Standard

Church Life

SPOTLIGHT: Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky

Reaching Out to the Community and the World By Andy Rector In 2018, Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, experienced gains in many ways. âIt truly was a year of growth,â said Dave Stone, senior pastor. Growth occurred in evangelism: âThe majority of people who were baptized in 2018 were baptized by the person who led them to the Lord,â Stone said. Growth occurred with the facilities: Construction began on the Chapel in the Woods, only a quarter mile from the main campus. The chapel is designed for weddings, funerals, and worship. There also was numeric growth: âOur attendance grew more

May 11, 2018

Christian Standard

Local Churches Organizations & Events

SPOTLIGHT: Northside Christian Church, New Albany, Indiana

Former senior pastor George Ross and his son, Nate Ross, switch roles. By Andy Rector In 1999, when George Ross arrived at Northside Christian Church in New Albany, Indiana, the congregation had been without a lead pastor for 14 months. During the interim, attendance had grown 12 percent. That fact impressed upon Ross that Northside was fertile soil. After spending more than a decade with the church, Ross was nearing retirement age, and he knew church leaders faced an important decision. What should Northside’s next step be? “Did Northside need something different from me?” Ross said. “I talked with

May 10, 2018

Tyler McKenzie

Local Churches Organizations & Events

SPOTLIGHT: Northeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky

The church grew in 2017, despite being warned attendance possibly could drop 15 percent under a new pastor. By Andy Rector Tyler McKenzie says he was “raw” when he was hired as teaching pastor at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2012. In April 2016, McKenzie became lead pastor. Former lead minister Bob Cherry, who helped start Northeast in 1977, saw something in McKenzie during the initial interview process. And Cherry doesn’t mince words about McKenzie’s subsequent promotion: “Tyler is the right guy” for the lead pastor role. A year before McKenzie joined the Northeast staff, Cherry began

November 14, 2017

Christian Standard

Mission & Evangelism

Called, Challenged, Changed

Lena Wood has a lifelong passion for missions and writing. The result is a three-volume set of mission trip devotions and journals.Â Â By Andy RectorÂ In 1970, a teenage Lena Wood sat on a plane with her sister and others bound for Japan. Never having flown before, she was terrified. What would happen on this trip into the unknown?Â As it turns out, she fell in love with missions on that trip. Over the summer, she and her team sang and gave testimonies at camps, schools, churches, and even a leper colony.Â “When we left,” she says. “I bawled.