Finding common ground key to successful church merger

The Scollard family, from left, Jonan, Jake, Nora, held by her mother Michelle, father Brett, holding Kyla, Elia, Annaliese and Isabella in front of what is now Grace Baptist Church, 1010 E. Sixth St., in McCook, Nebraska. The congregations of First Baptist Church and Grace Community Church merged earlier this summer.
(Dawn Cribbs/McCook Daily Gazette)

Flooring the accelerator and pushing your way into the stream is not advisable. Nor is coming to a complete stop, waiting until traffic thins sufficiently to allow space to accelerate from zero to 60 in less than 10 seconds. (Ten seconds can seem an eternity when an 18-wheeler is bearing down on your compact car.)

When two bodies of faith merge, great care and consideration will make for an easy transition. Both groups must be ultra-sensitive to the others' positions on cherished traditions and both groups must be willing to prayerfully consider one another's history.

The many challenges of a successful merger have been met by those of the faith community known as First Baptist Church since 1892 and those known as Grace Community Church since 2009.

According to the Rev. Brett Scollard, pastor at the newly formed Grace Baptist Church at 1010 E. Sixth in McCook, there are more than 33,000 different Protestant denominations.

"Apparently, it's easier to split than to mend or to merge," he opined.

In the case of FBC and Grace Community, the difficult process of merger was made easier because of the willingness of the people to find common ground.

"Patience and humility were key ingredients," said Scollard. "Differences weren't swept under the rug, and every concern was brought to the table."

Membership numbers continue to remain fluid. "There are those who have found that they cannot reconcile themselves with the changes," Scollard admitted. "However, I've never been that concerned with numbers. I'm more interested in developing a family that's going to develop a good blend of intimacy, in a safe place, so that they can be outwardly focused in ministry."

Scollard observed that Christianity, like the culture around it, follows a pendulum swing.

"The problem is in the extremes," he said. "Historically, we go from legalism to license, and then back again."

He maintains that for a body of believers to develop healthy interpersonal relationships, they need to stop focusing on what's wrong. "Ask what is right," he said, "Ask 'Where is Christ. How close can we get to him?'"

"We are called to be the family of God," said Scollard. "Bailing when times get tough happens in marriages, it happens in the church family too."

Overall, however, he has been impressed by the process. "The willingness, the humility of the people involved, allowed us to avoid the mistake of dismissing all of our differences and forming a false unity.

"Actually, it's been a fantastic endeavor."

He is not alone in his opinion. According to parishioner Shari Brandt, "Brett and (his wife) Michelle are such a good fit for us. And those seven children. Wow. They are a such joy."

Betty Bradley, a long-time member of First Baptist Church, was instrumental in bringing Scollard to the attention of the congregation, asking him to step in as an interim pastor while the Search Committee continued to seek the Lord's guidance in calling a permanent pastor.

"That first visit ended up being an answer to their prayers," Bradley said. "They admitted that they had been praying for direction, wondering if the Lord would call them out of McCook altogether."

It wasn't long after he stepped into the pulpit that the discussions about a permanent placement began. "Apparently, that first visit was an answer to more than one family's prayer," Bradley admitted.

Even taking that into consideration, however, the process took time. According to Bradley, "We did a lot of studying, going through the Bible together to determine the course. The aim is to make this a loving, caring family doing what God says we should do."

Individually and collectively, faith is a growth process, Scollard explained. It's the idea of "Semper Reformanda," Latin for "always reforming."

"We're called to mature in our Christian walk, in our relationships within the family of believers, not with plastic smiles cloaked in self-sufficiency," he said, "We're called to work together for the glory of God."

The newly merged body, which is associated with both the American Baptist Association and the Southern Baptist Association, meets Sundays at 10 a.m., for Sunday School and worship at 11 a.m. More information on the fellowship can be found online at www.gracemccook.org

Scollard, who is bi-vocational, will continue to work full time for Valmont Industries. "This way, all of the resources can be focused on ministry."