After two years of worshiping together at the Baptist Student Union of Three Rivers College, Grace & Truth Fellowship of Poplar Bluff has its first permanent location. The congregation had their first service on Jan. 31, 2021, at the church building located at 1197 Highway T.
The Fellowship began in 2013 as a Bible study group of approximately 20 members. All were attending different churches in the Poplar Bluff area.
“Nothing was static back then,” said Pastor Joe Crites. “Everything was moving.”
The group met on a Friday or Saturday night. They discussed the Bible and counseled each other.
“We were a covenant community helping each other when we were needed,” Crites said of those early days.
The numbers of members changed over time, but the core group remained and considered being more than a study group. They formed a church plan and became members of the Cane Creek Stoddard Baptist Association. The one thing they did not have was a building.
That changed in 2018 when the Baptist Student Union at Three Rivers College was made available as a temporary residence. The student union provided the fledgling church full use of their facility for two years. After nearly five years of meeting as a study group, they became Grace & Truth Fellowship and were able to hold worship services every Sunday morning.
Their time with the student union passed rapidly and in 2020 they were needing to make a move. The agreement with the student union was about to expire but they had no idea where to go.
Unexpected relief came when Cane Creek Stoddard Baptist Association came forward and offered them a solution. Black River Baptist Church had been forced to dissolve and their building was empty. Grace & Truth would be allowed to use it if they maintained the building and grounds.
“The building was such a blessing,” said Crites. It was in great shape and clean. No repairs were needed. All the congregation had to do was to move in.
The move came in December 2020. The first service was held in January.
“It was surreal,” Crites said about the first worship service in the church. “It was like a dream that was actually happening.”
Some members of the Black River Baptist congregation merged into Grace & Truth and the local community was quick to notice the church. The size of the congregation nearly doubled.
The next step for the church is to engage the community, said Crites. “We believe that gathering together is still the primary mode of growing the church.”
He wants to make sure that Grace & Truth Fellowship never forgets its beginnings as a small, dedicated worship group.