28 March, 2024

The Lasting Influence of a Small Church

Features

by | 31 December, 2010 | 1 comment

By Gordon R. Clymer

Recently six Timothys of Indiana”s Black Oak Church of Christ returned to say thank-you to the church where each was baptized. Located between Hammond and Gary, the community has become more inner-city than metropolitan. Fewer than 100 people now meet to worship with this congregation. In years past it was never a large church, but it had a vision of outreach.

These six men sent out to preach the gospel include James North, professor of church history at Cincinnati (Ohio) Christian University; Ziden Nutt, executive director of Good News Productions, International (Joplin, Missouri); Gordon Clymer, professor at Ozark Christian College (Joplin, Missouri); Kenneth Smith, minister of Merrillville (Indiana) Christian Church; James Correll, musician and preacher from Hazelwood, Missouri; and Jack Watson, church builder from Nathalic, Virginia. All of these men have retired from their ministries, but the extent of their influence continues.

After graduation, James North and his wife, Martha, moved to San Jose, California, where his teaching ministry began at San Jose Bible College (now William Jessup University, Rocklin, California). He moved to Cincinnati Bible Seminary (now Cincinnati Christian University) in 1977. Hundreds of students have been influenced by his teaching. His books have been translated into seven languages, and he has regularly traveled to Eastern Europe to teach with the TCM Institute.

Ziden Nutt and his wife, Helen, were missionaries in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) for 14 years. During that time, He helped establish 120 churches, schools were started, and the Chidamoyo Hospital was built. In 1976 he and his wife returned to the United States to establish Good News Productions, International, in Joplin, Missouri. Today there are 10 GNPI regional centers around the world. It is estimated that more than 6.25 million people worldwide see something GNPI has produced every day.

Gordon Clymer and his wife, Mary, after graduating from Ozark Bible College, spent 10 years in located ministries in East Tennessee. Returning as a teacher at OBC, he spent 28 years as director of Christian education before leaving to work for GNPI. In the six years he spent at GNPI, he was responsible for beginning an Internet distance-learning program for church colleges. In the 11 years since it began, the Consortium for Christian Online Education has enrolled more than 4,600 students from 20 colleges in the 19 courses it presently offers.

North”s “History of the Restoration Movement” was the first course offered in 1999. He noted that this program was started by “three boys from Black Oak.”

Clymer has preached and taught in more than 70 countries.

Ken Smith and his wife, Brenda, began a ministry with Successful Living Books, distributing Christian books to families, churches, and schools. Over the years they distributed thousands of inspirational and instructional books. They had book parties, book racks in stores and businesses, and reading programs and book sales in Christian schools. Their Glad Tidings Book Stores were a significant influence for Christ in several communities.

Jim Correll and his wife, Joy, ministered to churches in Illinois and Missouri. These preaching and music ministries led him to become a music teacher in schools in the St. Louis area.

In recent years, Jack Watson has started churches and built church buildings on the East Coast.

A seventh man, Charles Kelley, is another product of the Black Oak church. Chuck and his wife, Carol, went to Rhodesia as missionaries. When they returned, they became camp managers at Butler Springs Christian Assembly, Hillsboro, Ohio, and Hanging Rock Christian Assembly, West Lebanon, Indiana, among other ministries. He was not present when the group met.

It is significant that these seven men had vastly different ministries, yet all were influenced and motivated by one small church.

When six of them returned to Black Oak, they all agreed on two points: (1) no one there today would remember them; but (2) recalling the past wasn”t the point. They came to say thank-you and to encourage the church to continue challenging people to dream of ministry.

And that challenge is continuing! In fact, on the date of the visit, the church had already planned to ordain one of her elders, Wally Klaubo, to a ministry with senior adults called Crossing Over Ministries.

Black Oak Church of Christ is an example of what every small church can do to influence the world.

As Rick Warren said at the 2010 North American Christian Convention, “You don”t have to be a big church for God to bless you or be pleased with you, but you do have to be a global church.”

Gordon R. Clymer retired as director of Christian education at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has spent the last 11 years as coordinator for what is now the Consortium for Christian Online Education (the ccoe.org).

1 Comment

  1. Jerry M Paul

    In 1946 my dad, Leland Paul, decided at the age of 37 to prepare for the ministry and became a student at Lincoln Bible Institute. As a 7-year-old, I remember a Saturday he left our home in Lincoln’s Madison Apartments, boarded a bus, and did not return until very late Sunday night. Later in life I learned he had traveled to the Black Oak church where he preached his first sermon as a student at LBI, probably filling in for an absent preacher. Thanks to Black Oak, and many other similar churches, for also giving Bible college “preachers” an opportunity to develop their servant skills.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Features

Follow Us