Watts Bar Community Church
Yesterday, Watts Bar Community Church, the church founded by my Dad and Mom, Ken and Connie Goins, and currently led by my brother, Kelly and his wife, Denise Goins, celebrated their 40th Anniversary.
Here’s a glimpse into the story of how this incredible, life-changing church got started.
In 1982, Bishop Don Johnson, the Evangelism Director for the Churches of God in the State of Tennessee at that time, called my Dad, Ken Goins, and asked him to consider planting a church.
This was well before the church-planting movement began. And, at first, Dad wondered whether or not that was even his calling. But Bishop Johnson was a man who believed in the potential of people. So, he challenged and encouraged Dad to consider it. Several possible sites were presented. None of them felt “right” to Dad.
Bishop Johnson was persistent. One day he called, “Ken, I’ve found an area that could really use a church. In fact, the closest Church of God on that side of the river and in that county is several miles away. Would you think about starting a church near Watts Bar?”
Dad drove through the area and found an old, abandoned store front building on what is now a vacant lot across from Uncle Gus’s Mountain Pit Barbecue on Peakland Road in Ten Mile, TN.
I remember walking through that building with Dad. The interior was littered with all kinds of debris — coke cans, beer cans, cigarette butts and the like. The building was in shambles. With a puny sense of faith I looked at Dad and asked, “Are you sure God told you to do this?” Dad graciously ignored my skepticism and doubts. He drove back to our home in Graysville, looked at Mom and announced, “I’ve found a building. Let’s start a revival and see if God is up to something.”
At that time, Janet and I were part of a singing group led by Dad and Mom called, The Spiritual Explosion. It makes me laugh to write that name.
With a lot of passion and limited ability, Dad, Mom and The Spiritual Explosion led the revival. Incredibly, during the first gathering, Charles James, the dad of one of the girls in the group, Janet James, gave his life to Jesus.
The revival lasted two weeks. Then, it was time for Dad and Mom to make a call. Was this just a revival or would they plant a church in Watts Bar?
They prayed. They asked God for a sign. And they kept the next idea to themselves. They privately made this decision, “If on a Sunday morning, when all of our friends and family go back to their churches, if God will give us seven people — just seven people — from ‘this side of the river,’ we’ll plant a church.”
Sunday rolled around. There weren’t seven people, there were eleven. Dad thought, “God has done exceedingly, abundantly more than we asked! Let’s go!”
The first services of what would become Watts Bar Community Church took place in January 1983. The church was officially established March 30, 1983. The first service on the present property took place in November 1983.
From the outset, Watts Bar Community Church was a church focused on this simple mission: love God, love people, serve others.
It was a church for people who had given up on church. A church for people who needed a second, third, fourth or fiftieth chance. It was a church that wanted to make a difference in its community and in its world. Incredibly, after forty years, it’s still making a difference!
What God continues to do through Pastors Kelly and Denise Goins and their beautiful team is inspiring!
Psalm 107:43 contains one of my favorite passages. It reads like this:
Those who are wise will take all this to heart;
they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord. —PSALM 107:43 NLT
The history of Watts Bar Community Church is a history filled with “the faithful love of the Lord,” and for that I am so grateful.
Thank You Watts Bar for who you are and all you do!
Thank You Pastor Kelly and Denise for leading this community with integrity, passion, creativity, perseverance and servanthood for the last 11 years (since June 2012). You are doing a great job! Seriously, you are!
Thank You Watts Bar Team — Pastors Kasey and Tiffany, Ben and Amanda, Bobby and Kelsey, and Austin and Briana, for the way you love, serve, lead, and give. Every one of you is a gift from God to this church family and our world. Keep up the great work!
Thank You, Faye Rose, the OG of the entire crew for your faithfulness over the entire 40 year history of this beautiful community of people.
And, THANK YOU, to every person who continues to live the mission and vision of WBCC: “Love God. Love People. Serve Others.” You do that so very well!
Congratulations on 40!
Here’s to 40 more or…until Jesus returns.
Oh, and by the way:
You’re not finished yet because God’s not finished yet!