People often ask me to recommend churches to their friends and family who live in or around this area. After all, I love my church but I'm not delusional in thinking The Journey works for everyone. When people attend your church and aren't "feeling it" you don't have to get offended. Instead, develop a kingdom mindset and recommend other faithful churches so more people can get plugged in and more churches can grow. With that said, I thought it would be profitable to throw out a few names and faces of churches I'd personally want to give a shot if I were looking to connect with a body of believers here in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
I should also say that this is not an exhaustive list of the ONLY good churches in our area. Please don't be offended or read anything into this post if your pastor or church isn't mentioned, this isn't a 'top 10' list or anything immature like that. I could list more churches and name more pastors that would be worth your time but I don't have all day. The 4 pastors and their churches listed below are simply some faithful brothers that I've managed to connect with regularly. I've been meeting with them for well over a year and feel as though I know their hearts well enough to recommend their churches to you. They know the gospel well, teach the gospel well, and would love to shepherd you and your family to the glory of God. These pastors aren't perfect, their churches are flawed, and they may not be a fit for you but hey... I'd say the same thing about The Journey.
Without further ado:
Redeemer Parkersburg is part of the ACNA (The Anglican Church of North America), a church that unites some 100,000 Anglicans in nearly 1,000 congregations across the United States and Canada. This church is pastored by Jim Sallie who's an incredibly down to earth guy with a tremendous heart. Jim has a vast knowledge of the Bible and is gifted in a unique way to teach and build meaningful relationships with people.
Grace Baptist Church began on July 26, 1959 as the Parkersburg Baptist Chapel. They are a fully cooperating Southern Baptist congregation that participates in the local Immanuel Baptist Association, the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists and the National Convention of Southern Baptists. Their pastor, Dr. Todd Hill, is a great guy and is guaranteed to have a tie on at all times, even when we're eating Wendy's together. But seriously, this guy loves Jesus and is incredibly passionate about faithful teaching and sound doctrine.
Williams Creek Baptist Church is an evangelical community of believers planted in the heart of the Mid-Ohio Valley. Dr. Mike Horner is the pastor of this church and you'll be hard pressed to find a nicer guy to be your pastor. Mike always has a smile on his face and it isn't fake, it's humbly there because he's been transformed by the gospel message. Being a pastor clearly isn't just a job for Mike, he cares deeply for sound doctrine has labored in this area for many years shepherding God's people.
Veto Presbyterian Church, as the name suggests, is located in Veto, Ohio. They're proud members of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). The pastor over at Veto is a fellow named Darren Edgington. Darren has a wonderful heart for the gospel and God's people. Darren's the kind of guy you'd like to smoke a cigar with on your back porch on a nice summer evening while talking about life, in fact I've done that with Darren. His heart bleeds for truth and he has a God given burden to shepherd his flock with authenticity.
As I've mentioned above, I'm certain there are other phenomenal ministries to recommend in and around this area. However, these are just 4 churches and pastors that I've had the privilege of getting to know well over the past year and recommend to people without hesitation. I know that if you check out their church on a Sunday morning you may not have every preference met but at least you won't hear a fluffy message meant to tickle your ears, you'll hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
May Christ's Kingdom expand in the Mid-Ohio Valley,
Pastor Cody Parman
The Journey Church Of Marietta
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