Charlottesville is an idyllic small town located in the Shenandoah Valley of central Virginia—the home of the prestigious University of Virginia (UVA). The college was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and watched over through a telescope from Monticello, the home of the former U.S. President. But in 2017 it became a site of violence and racial tension. In the North American division of Every Nation, it begged the question, “Who will go?” The launch of Grace Covenant in Charlottesville with UVA Professor, Dr. Paul Harris, as the lead pastor will be the Every Nation church plant answering the call to serve and reconcile the people of Charlottesville. Here’s Dr. Paul’s story of how he went from professor to church planter.
My spiritual journey to faith in Christ began at age thirteen. As a P.K. (preacher’s kid) I was immersed in Christianity from my earliest memories. The most profound experience came when a visiting preacher challenged kids raised in Christian homes (particularly preachers’ kids) to know God for themselves. That was the moment that I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior and lord.
At the University of Virginia (UVA) I was a member of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and of the choir, Black Voices. It was a season of tremendous fellowship and significant spiritual growth for me. It’s also where I met my wife, Taylor. The idea of being a pastor was never far away. However, I also felt called to academia. I completed my graduate studies at UVA and finished with a Ph.D. in Education.
Taylor and I first got involved with an Every Nation church when Donnell and Marianne Jones Jones planted Grace Covenant in Washington, D.C. Two years later in 2007, we moved to northern Virginia for work, and at that point began attending Grace Covenant Church in Chantilly where I’ve been serving on the leadership team in overseeing the small group ministry.
I accepted a position as a professor at the University of Virginia in 2014 and moved back to Charlottesville. The idea of planting an Every Nation church was growing stronger and clearer. I finally called Pastor Brett Fuller at Grace Covenant in Chantilly to discuss what I’d been feeling. In 2017, Taylor and I attended the Every Nation Assessment Center which was followed by my attendance at the Church Planters’ Bootcamp that same year.
One unique aspect of the future Every Nation church in Charlottesville is that I will continue on as a professor at UVA. This will be one of only several Every Nation North American church plants with a bi-vocational lead pastor—the only one with a university professor serving in that role. When you think of it in context of the Every Nation mission, continuing to teach at UVA made perfect sense to all the leaders.
The plan is to initiate a soft launch on September 9, 2018, followed by monthly preview services for the remaining calendar year. The church launch date is January 6, 2019. Currently, we have twenty-two people committed to serving on our core team, some from Charlottesville and some from Chantilly. About twenty others come and help when they can. Our goal is to raise three years of basic operating expenses before the launch. I will raise a ‘summer salary’ through personal partnership for the unpaid months of the academic year.
Taylor and I greatly appreciate the prayers and personal mentoring we have received from the Every Nation churches in Northern Virginia. I can’t tell you how much their friendship and encouragement have meant to our family.