By Gabe Montez, Pastor of Bright Light FWB

As a pastor of a Free Will Baptist church among other denominations with different sizes and abilities, I have been asked “Who are you and why should I be a part of your church?” I thought I would share two questions. The first is one that as a pastor was at the core of any movement, the second is the result of contemplation and faith. Both are after serious thought and prayer.

Gabe – whom are you called to serve?  And what does that mean for you?

It is difficult to say initially who we are called to serve but better yet how. Many will lean on this idea of knowing your immediate or outlying community before serving them. While this idea may still be a great strategy for many, I have found with a small church finding its way, that it might limit a church’s ministry.

My wife and I have noticed that if we make ourselves available with the spiritual gifts bestowed by Him, we then see how we can serve to then know who it will be. For example, we knew we had been called to serve in a nearly dead church in Central Texas with the gifts we have. First, we felt we needed to start a school that was independent of the church while having the church facilitate and benefit from it. We thought that an evangelistic foundation with a practical and applicable approach would break through. Serving those with monetary needs could then break through to their spiritual needs. This would be how we would serve in the classroom and then at home.

Yet, God sent families with the needs mentioned along with parents who were professionals in the community who simply needed a guiding hand and a safe place for their kids. These needs included the lack of social interaction, food concerns, and others. While my wife and I have specific skills and the church had limited resources we could provide, we couldn’t offer much, yet the authenticity created a flood of curiosity from not just the nearby neighborhood but also from those around it. Social media has a huge impact on our ministry and so this was a contributing factor.

If we focused only on the low-income families, we would have missed out on the others who also were in need and have made cross-demographical relationships. Some drive as far as twenty minutes from Bright Light to have their kids attend our small and modest school. That is not an example of serving our local community but instead, the community God provides.

To add, we also aimed toward having a recovery group that would be included in church services. This recovery-based worship service would be biblically based and in a safe environment that includes confidentiality as well as discipleship. We assumed based on examples we had witnessed, that those who attended would be people in a mile-wide radius. For some odd reason, we have ministered heavily toward women coming from neighboring towns as well as within the community. Several who attend the recovery group now attend Sunday service and volunteer with our other ministries. Some of these have attended larger churches in the area to come to us.

So, the bottom line is I believe my gage or compass for ministry as The Holy Spirit has instructed is first how am I called to serve (being available, accepting, humble, nurturing, and among the community) to then see the fruits of whom I will serve.

Having said all of this, I do believe it is important to know your demographic but not to identify whom you will serve. I see that those whom we are serving are those who want to be included, noticed, and loved intimately, which bigger churches may have trouble doing. An intimate relationship is desperately desired, and Jesus is meeting them as He did with the woman at the well (John 4). This isn’t to say that larger churches don’t have a place in God’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), however, a deep need is being met by those smaller congregations learning how to greet them.

What does Free Will Baptist mean?  (If we are Free Will Baptist as opposed to non-denominational …, why are we Free Will Baptist?

First and foremost, I share with many who have asked this question or something similar- that I am a follower of Christ inviting others to know Him to then allow for The Holy Spirit to love and include them by conviction of their sins. This conviction should overtake any denominational characteristics or ordinances that distract us from salvation. The most known verse tells us that whosoever believes in His sacrifice as the One true God will be with Him forever (John 3:16; Luke 23:42-43). Having said that, being a part of the FWB denomination emphasizes our belief in a specific way as we honor Him through our actions. So, we exhibit our love for Him and enthusiasm for the Great Commission through our actions and obedience by honoring Him in that we maintain obedience through specific practices. One example of this is the outward expression of commitment to Christ through baptism through water immersion (Acts 9:18; Acts 8:36). Remember, baptism is an outward act of commitment because of the love and appreciation of our Lord, Jesus who requires us to commit in order to be born again. However, the thief on the cross was saved regardless because of the transformation of his soul in the presence of the Lord.

I would answer it simply with this- each person has the opportunity given by God to live a life of free will. This is an act of love by God that allows us to come to know the senses that tempt us and the call from God to live in obedience to Him. Free will is the only way anyone can know true, deep, and intimate love because we decided to follow Jesus rather than be programmed or forced to do so.

FWB strives to ensure that we preach and teach our willingness to devote our love to God through a discipled spirit. This requires endurance and appreciation along with perpetual conviction. Rather than being saved and living comfortably in sin because He forgives, we instead strive to live out our free will by swimming against the stream of the world willingly to be closer to Him.