Central Family,
I want to thank you for trusting me to be your pastor for almost two years now and for the love that you have
shown towards my family. Mallory and I say all the time that Central is family to us, and we pray that the
LORD continues to build our relationship with one another as we grow in Him! I have previously stated on several
occasions that I wish to align my vision for Central with the Lord’s overall vision for His church as
revealed in Scripture. I do not wish to “reinvent the wheel,” especially since the Lord designed the original
“wheel.” Therefore, our updated church Constitution states the following under the heading, God’s Vision for
His Church:
Acts 2:42, 44 says that the early church in Jerusalem “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and
I want to thank you for trusting me to be your pastor for almost two years now and for the love that you have
shown towards my family. Mallory and I say all the time that Central is family to us, and we pray that the
LORD continues to build our relationship with one another as we grow in Him! I have previously stated on several
occasions that I wish to align my vision for Central with the Lord’s overall vision for His church as
revealed in Scripture. I do not wish to “reinvent the wheel,” especially since the Lord designed the original
“wheel.” Therefore, our updated church Constitution states the following under the heading, God’s Vision for
His Church:
Acts 2:42, 44 says that the early church in Jerusalem “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and
the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And all who believed were together and had all
things in common.” The result, v. 47, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were
being saved.” Central Baptist Church joyfully submits to the Lord’s vision for His church. We strive to
devote ourselves to the Word of God, strengthen our love and fellowship with one another, share
commonality in doctrinal beliefs and life necessities, and pray without ceasing. In obedience to Jesus’
Commission (Matt 28:18–20; Acts 1:8), Central aims to equip all members to become disciple-makers
as we grow in our knowledge and love for the Lord and one another. Our zeal is to share the Good News
of salvation through Jesus Christ from our community to the four corners of the globe. We trust that
aligning ourselves with the Lord’s vision will bring glory and honor to Him and spiritual and numerical
growth to His body (Acts 2:47).
Psalm 37:4–5 states, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit
your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.” When we delight in the LORD and commit ourselves to
Him, His desires become our desires. He then acts to fulfill our desires (His desires) through us! What a
wonderful, gracious God we serve! I feel confident that the vision above captures the Lord’s desires for His
church, and He will fulfill this vision in our faith family!
When I returned to Central in October 2021, my goal for the first two years was to lead in the Word of God and
create a Word-saturated church from the pulpit to all remaining ministries and small groups, immediately begin
a one-on-one/few discipleship process and pray it spreads like wildfire (and it has!!), and promote peace and
fellowship within our congregation. Missions, evangelism, and other significant areas in the church are close to
my heart and were not completely neglected; however, I knew there was work to do within before our focus
directed outwardly. I fully expected bumps in the road, challenges, and even opposition. I expected groans,
cries, and reflections of “the way things used to be” from our people during this transitional period. I even
expected different faces in our pews, loss and gain, from October 2021 to October 2023.
However, I am thrilled with where we are as a church and could not be more excited with where we are
heading! That is where our focus now turns! On the bottom of this page, you will find the desires of my heart
(which I pray are the Lord’s desires and will submit to changes as He leads) by the year 2026. I want to share
my heart with you so that we can progress together on this journey towards our upward calling in Christ Jesus!
Keep in mind as you read that God can not only accomplish these goals, but He can do “far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” I fully expect us to look back at this list
in 2026 and see that He’s fulfilled and exceeded our expectations!
In Christ,
Pastor Clay
Goals by 2026
Preaching
I will begin preaching Genesis–Deuteronomy in a narrative expositional form for approximately 18–24 months
after completing 2 Corinthians. The Gospel of Mark will follow.
Prayer
We have increased our emphasis on prayer by adding the Sunday morning prayer hour and groups that have
prayer meetings throughout the week. However, there is much room for improvement. My hope is that prayer
becomes a significant element of Core Discipleship, weekly Bible studies, and corporate worship services.
Discipleship
Discipleship is available on every level at Central, Sunday services, weekly Bible studies (Sunday School,
Wednesday evenings, Thursday evenings for young adults), and Core Discipleship (one-on-one/few
discipleship). We currently have men and women that are ready to take others through Core Discipleship for
those interested. We are also beginning a new study to train preachers/teachers to help sanctify their gift of
teaching. The only change I wish to implement here is that it continues to grow!
Pastoral Discipleship
One of my primary prayers is that the Lord grant our pastoral staff with the opportunity to disciple other men
that are called by God and affirmed by the church in pastoral ministry. We will begin developing a strategic
plan to prepare and provide opportunities for these men as the Lord develops them from our faith family!
Fellowship
Fellowship is available at Central!! There are some individuals in our church that I see up to 4–5x weekly
through weekly services and discipleship opportunities along with other various gatherings! Start by coming!!
Evangelism
You know people that are lost/unchurched that I have never met. I know others that you have never met. This is
where evangelism begins! People are more likely to trust in Christ and come to church through a loving
invitation from us than any large event we have corporately. We will also create a strategy to evangelize and
invite those that are rapidly moving to Cherokee County through our Pray-N-Go services and beyond!
Local Missions
We are thankful for our partnership with Grace Chapel Baptist Church in York, SC. Pastor Thomas Broome has
recently reported spiritual/numerical growth! Our partnership with GCBC will run through the end of 2024.
There are currently churches in Cherokee County that are at threat to close their doors. Our goal by 2026 is to
partner with our Association in assisting a church in our county through a revitalization process. Our Upper
Room ministry will also continue to implement ways to connect and reach Limestone students!
Foreign Missions
We are thankful for our partnership with Bread of Life in Kenya. By 2026, I pray that we have two international
partnerships where we are actively assisting churches through prayer, mission teams, and finances.
Children’s Minister
Details (full/part-time, etc.) TBD depending on our future structure and makeup. Our nursery and children’s
ministry are growing, especially the 0–5 age range. I am praying for the Lord to send someone that loves
children and desires to assist parents in stewarding their spiritual growth by 2026.
Buildings and Grounds
The Lord blessed us to be able to pay our building debt and repair our roof without going back into debt. Our
sanctuary lights will be installed mid-July. The next major project will be our parking lot, which 80% of our
upcoming New Year New Things offering in September will be designated towards. The parking lot will be the
last major foreseeable repair at Central. Replacing carpet in the hallway and youth room, waxing gym floor,
replacing A/C units, and other minor repairs will follow as we are able financially.
things in common.” The result, v. 47, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were
being saved.” Central Baptist Church joyfully submits to the Lord’s vision for His church. We strive to
devote ourselves to the Word of God, strengthen our love and fellowship with one another, share
commonality in doctrinal beliefs and life necessities, and pray without ceasing. In obedience to Jesus’
Commission (Matt 28:18–20; Acts 1:8), Central aims to equip all members to become disciple-makers
as we grow in our knowledge and love for the Lord and one another. Our zeal is to share the Good News
of salvation through Jesus Christ from our community to the four corners of the globe. We trust that
aligning ourselves with the Lord’s vision will bring glory and honor to Him and spiritual and numerical
growth to His body (Acts 2:47).
Psalm 37:4–5 states, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit
your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.” When we delight in the LORD and commit ourselves to
Him, His desires become our desires. He then acts to fulfill our desires (His desires) through us! What a
wonderful, gracious God we serve! I feel confident that the vision above captures the Lord’s desires for His
church, and He will fulfill this vision in our faith family!
When I returned to Central in October 2021, my goal for the first two years was to lead in the Word of God and
create a Word-saturated church from the pulpit to all remaining ministries and small groups, immediately begin
a one-on-one/few discipleship process and pray it spreads like wildfire (and it has!!), and promote peace and
fellowship within our congregation. Missions, evangelism, and other significant areas in the church are close to
my heart and were not completely neglected; however, I knew there was work to do within before our focus
directed outwardly. I fully expected bumps in the road, challenges, and even opposition. I expected groans,
cries, and reflections of “the way things used to be” from our people during this transitional period. I even
expected different faces in our pews, loss and gain, from October 2021 to October 2023.
However, I am thrilled with where we are as a church and could not be more excited with where we are
heading! That is where our focus now turns! On the bottom of this page, you will find the desires of my heart
(which I pray are the Lord’s desires and will submit to changes as He leads) by the year 2026. I want to share
my heart with you so that we can progress together on this journey towards our upward calling in Christ Jesus!
Keep in mind as you read that God can not only accomplish these goals, but He can do “far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” I fully expect us to look back at this list
in 2026 and see that He’s fulfilled and exceeded our expectations!
In Christ,
Pastor Clay
Goals by 2026
Preaching
I will begin preaching Genesis–Deuteronomy in a narrative expositional form for approximately 18–24 months
after completing 2 Corinthians. The Gospel of Mark will follow.
Prayer
We have increased our emphasis on prayer by adding the Sunday morning prayer hour and groups that have
prayer meetings throughout the week. However, there is much room for improvement. My hope is that prayer
becomes a significant element of Core Discipleship, weekly Bible studies, and corporate worship services.
Discipleship
Discipleship is available on every level at Central, Sunday services, weekly Bible studies (Sunday School,
Wednesday evenings, Thursday evenings for young adults), and Core Discipleship (one-on-one/few
discipleship). We currently have men and women that are ready to take others through Core Discipleship for
those interested. We are also beginning a new study to train preachers/teachers to help sanctify their gift of
teaching. The only change I wish to implement here is that it continues to grow!
Pastoral Discipleship
One of my primary prayers is that the Lord grant our pastoral staff with the opportunity to disciple other men
that are called by God and affirmed by the church in pastoral ministry. We will begin developing a strategic
plan to prepare and provide opportunities for these men as the Lord develops them from our faith family!
Fellowship
Fellowship is available at Central!! There are some individuals in our church that I see up to 4–5x weekly
through weekly services and discipleship opportunities along with other various gatherings! Start by coming!!
Evangelism
You know people that are lost/unchurched that I have never met. I know others that you have never met. This is
where evangelism begins! People are more likely to trust in Christ and come to church through a loving
invitation from us than any large event we have corporately. We will also create a strategy to evangelize and
invite those that are rapidly moving to Cherokee County through our Pray-N-Go services and beyond!
Local Missions
We are thankful for our partnership with Grace Chapel Baptist Church in York, SC. Pastor Thomas Broome has
recently reported spiritual/numerical growth! Our partnership with GCBC will run through the end of 2024.
There are currently churches in Cherokee County that are at threat to close their doors. Our goal by 2026 is to
partner with our Association in assisting a church in our county through a revitalization process. Our Upper
Room ministry will also continue to implement ways to connect and reach Limestone students!
Foreign Missions
We are thankful for our partnership with Bread of Life in Kenya. By 2026, I pray that we have two international
partnerships where we are actively assisting churches through prayer, mission teams, and finances.
Children’s Minister
Details (full/part-time, etc.) TBD depending on our future structure and makeup. Our nursery and children’s
ministry are growing, especially the 0–5 age range. I am praying for the Lord to send someone that loves
children and desires to assist parents in stewarding their spiritual growth by 2026.
Buildings and Grounds
The Lord blessed us to be able to pay our building debt and repair our roof without going back into debt. Our
sanctuary lights will be installed mid-July. The next major project will be our parking lot, which 80% of our
upcoming New Year New Things offering in September will be designated towards. The parking lot will be the
last major foreseeable repair at Central. Replacing carpet in the hallway and youth room, waxing gym floor,
replacing A/C units, and other minor repairs will follow as we are able financially.