The Bridge goes to Mount Olive
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on September 26, 2016 9:57 AM
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
Brenda Collins, right, and Carlia Lewis set up a pipe and drape backdrop to be used during each Bridge church service in Raper Hall on the campus of University of Mount Olive.
The Bridge Church is adding a third location next month in Mount Olive.
The "portable church" concept will be introduced on the campus of the University of Mount Olive, using the Southern Bank Auditorium in Raper Hall.
Planting a church in the southern end of the county has been in the works for a couple years, said Andrew Price, who will serve as pastor at the new site.
"About two years ago, I went to (The Bridge) Pastor Ferrell (Hardison) and said God had laid Mount Olive on my heart," he said. "Originally, we had talked about Smithfield.
"I was kind of nervous to go and say I'm really feeling called to Mount Olive."
The response was a positive one, he said, with Hardison admitting he had received a similar nudge from the Lord.
After much prayer by the leadership and congregants from Mount Olive who already attended the church, Price said they kept getting "positive signs after positive signs," confirming the addition.
UMO was also receptive, making the decision to find a location even easier.
"Southern Bank Auditorium seats about 350," Price said. "Our Goldsboro campus only seats about 130 in the worship auditorium.
"We are packed on Thursday nights and Sunday mornings and have considered going to a second service on Sunday. For us at 350, we're thinking we'll be OK."
The first service will be on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 10 a.m.
The template will follow what has already been established at both the Goldsboro site and the mother church, formerly Whitley Church, located in Princeton.
"Obviously, when you have a permanent building you're able to have some bells and whistles that don't translate into a portable setup and teardown every week, but we will have our music, our hospitality, our Bridge Kids, the same style of preaching, so a lot of things that would be recognized as being The Bridge will be present at that campus, which will be important," Price said.
The newly minted pastor actually started his faith journey as a youth.
"I came to the church in 1999," he said. "I was in seventh grade.
"I have seen it grow from a church of about 400 into a church of about 1,600."
After graduating from Heritage Bible College in Dunn, and a 12-year stint working at Falcon Children's Home, he got a call from Ferrell telling him about the children's pastor position that had just opened up.
Before that, Price had not considered children's ministry.
He was honest with Hardison up-front, telling him he envisioned being in adult pastoral ministry.
"Pastor Ferrell is such an open-handed leader," Price said. "He has given me opportunities that you wouldn't think of as being the things a children's pastor would do -- I've preached for him, lead communions, baptisms, child dedications, things that were great experiences for me in this new role.
"I'm very grateful for pastor Ferrell and just how confident he is as a leader, to be able to give other people opportunities and not feel threatened by that but stand by and cheer us on and be encouraged by our successes."
Price said he is excited about the potential to grow a church in Mount Olive, especially on the college campus.
"There are plenty of churches in Mount Olive but for some reason what we're doing here has just connected with people in a way that's special," he said. "I think the thing that I'm most excited about, the thing I'm ready to see, is being able to connect with more people from the Mount Olive area and beyond. Connecting with those people that don't drive 30 to 40 minutes to go to church with us, but would drive in that community."
In addition to Price serving as pastor, others have stepped up to round out the worship team at the new site. His wife, Nicole, a musician and worship leader in her own right, will serve in that capacity alongside Price.
The concept of a "portable" church, though, should not be misconstrued as being temporary or uncommitted, Price said.
"Portable is a method that just allows us to go ahead and start church even though we didn't have the funding to build," he explained. "It's a way to go ahead and get into that community.
"We're trusting God about the building. It's not a wait-and-see-if-it-works-out and then get committed. We're committed to being in Mount Olive."