Fifty one years ago the South Louisville Christian Church on Southern Parkway, took a risky step of faith and launched the Southeast Christian Church in the burgeoning east end of Louisville, Kentucky. It was a risky move because a number of prominent families left South Louisville to help start the new congregation. The choir director and several church officers were among those who left the historic south end church to assist in the beginning of a congregation that would eventually become the largest in the city.
The next four decades were difficult for the mother church, which had already given birth to four other congregations. Since it’s located in an established part of town, evangelism became increasingly difficult and the attendance slowly declined from over 500 on an average Sunday morning to less than 100. Most who did attend were older and were driving a considerable distance from the suburbs desperately trying to keep the congregation alive and relevant.
Three years ago, Theo Dues was called to be the new minister and a dramatic turnaround began. Theo had been the Executive Director of Social Services at The Salvation Army and had little experience pastoring a local church. But he was confident of the call of God on his life and he was determined to bring a renewed vitality to the South Louisville Church – and the elders were 100% behind him.
What has happened under Theo Dues’ leadership over the past three years has been remarkable and very gratifying to me – a former Southeast Christian Church minister and a beneficiary of the sacrifices of the South Louisville Church.
The South Louisville church began to focus on meeting the needs of the local community, which is near Churchill Downs. Exciting conversions and dramatic life transformations began to take place. Located in an area where churches are struggling to keep their doors open, over the past three years the South Louisville Christian Church has:
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- added over 100 new members (including 50 this year) and most of those by baptism.
- doubled the average weekly attendance to nearly 200 in worship
- enlisted a 4th group of students in the Discipleship Curriculum which requires 21 months of intensified study
- raised up a new generation of quality leaders in the church having ordained 6 new deacons and 2 new elders
- broadcasted Theo’s sermons on radio the past two years and have recently increased the broadcasts to two per week
- returned to the practice of church-planting by helping give birth to “Glory of God International Church” – a congregation of Ethiopian Christians that meet at the South Louisville church building
- fed dozens of community children at the church building each week providing both physical food and spiritual food
- begun a Wednesday night community dinner which is now feeding close to 100 adults each week.
- developed a food distribution program which has grown to one of the largest in the area, with several of the participants coming to know Jesus Christ through that program.
Theo Dues wrote, “We have become the most diverse church I have ever seen. Our diversity includes racial, cultural, age, religious background and socio-economic variances. We are truly a church of people that can only call themselves a family through the power of the Gospel. Our unofficial slogan has become – “South Louisville Christian Church; where you can’t possibly not fit in.”
Most of all, there is a spirit, an energy and a love here that is lived OUT LOUD every week. It is unmistakable. It is infectious. It is real. And it is very, very powerful.”
Congratulations, Theo! And congratulations to the leaders and members of the South Louisville Christian Church. Those of us who owe you so much are very proud of how God is using you. Stay faithful and stay united. It’s going to be exciting to see how God is going to use you in the future.