The story begins seven years ago. Mesa Baptist Church has been in existence since the 1950's. She is a church that has seen great days of growth and blessing, but also has experienced days of decline and defeat. In 2006 MBC sent their beloved pastor of 18 years to serve with a mission organization, and so a seven year time of great loss and discouragement began. This once thriving church of over 700 each Sunday with a pastoral staff of six, grew down to 175 with two left on staff in six years. Nothing that was done would stop the bleeding. This church was dying and it was only a matter of time before the doors would close.
The cause of such a slow and painful death cannot be adequately described in a few sentences. Each person who was a part of the church during this time would have a different story since each person dealt with their own issues during this decline. But to put it in a brief sentence: The downfall of the ministry of MBC was attributed to sin! This sin comes in many forms including rebellion, arrogance, a loss of passion, disunity, and lack of trust and love for each other.
You may think that last statement sounds harsh, but it is not until you come to a realization of where you are that change can occur. The leaders, staff, and people of MBC knew they could not fix this on their own. Do you understand how important that is in the life of a church? They could not fix it! Just as in Judges, the people "did what was right in their own eyes." and the result is spelled out in Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." 
It was at this point of desperation that the leaders of MBC contacted SWCC and asked for help. It was then that the ministry mapping process began. It's kinda funny, because the church knew five years before this that they needed help and had a outside company come in and do this ministry mapping process with them. The difference between the two: the first time when the process was completed, they told us what to do and then left for their home on the east coast. This time, with the SWCC, they didn't just tell the people what to do, but they walked the last year and half with them. Coaching them all the way.
The mapping process was tedious work that led us to an honest view of who MBC was and thus gave a place to start making the necessary changes
to move forward. The people of MBC relinquished, with much humility, all their rights as a church and gave themselves solely to the authority of the leaders of the SWCC.
The very first step SWCC took was to place a transitional pastor in the lead role at MBC and give him complete authority to do what needed to be done to turn this church around. That pastor was Mark Rice. His job was not going to be easy but he slowly found that the people of MBC were so desperate that they would do almost anything to be affective once again. It takes both a strong, godly leader and repentant, humble people to see this happen.
Mark orchestrated many changes from service times, worship style, suspending programs, staffing, and a major shift in our leadership, just to name a few. But throughout the changes something began to happen. God not only changed the structure of MBC, He began to change the people. A people who were willing to accept the changes and move toward being a church that would become passionate in reaching their community for Christ.
Through the year of transition we have seen God growing MBC. First, He has grown His people to a place of spiritual renewal loving Him and loving others. There is a sense of trust and a renewed hope in what the future holds for this body of believers. Secondly, God has grown MBC numerically. A church struggling to have 200 each Sunday is now well over 320 each week. A kids ministry that limped along with about 15 students has grown to upwards of 55 each week. Many ministries are thriving such as the women's ministry who ended it's season with 65 attending Bible Study each week, more than doubled from last year.
And now the calendar page turns to begin the 8th year... the year of new beginnings. Although it was not in the original plan, God brought MBC a permanent senior pastor in the man who was meant to be there only for a season. On May 18th, Pastor Mark Rice was voted in overwhelmingly by a unified leadership team and congregation to lead MBC into the future.
As you get to know the details of the st
ories of both MBC and Pastor Mark Rice, you will see many parallels. Both came from difficult circumstance, both were wounded, both needed to find restoration, and both needed to fully depend on God for the future. It is a story that brings beauty from ashes. A story that should be told at another time.
As the people of MBC move forward, may they never forget from where God has brought them. May they remember His mighty hand that has been upon them and may they never lose sight of the ministry that is to be done for His glory. Their future awaits them and they are ready to soar.
