Covenant News

Texas Church Votes to Join the Covenant

TULSA, OK (March 16, 2005) - St. Barnabas the Encourager Church in Austin, Texas, voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to formally join the Evangelical Covenant Church, according to Garth Bolinder, superintendent of the Midsouth Conference. The church's new name will be St. Barnabas the Encourager Covenant Church.

"Our mutual ministry will be significantly strengthened by this Spirit-led sacramental congregation," says Bolinder. St. Barnabas will be welcomed into the conference during its annual meeting April 22-23 in Houston. The pastor is Jeff Black.

Black planted St. Barnabas in 1997, using the cell church model where members meet in holistic small groups and then join together weekly in praise and worship as a congregation. Instrumental in the congregation's growth has been the Alpha discipleship course to train new people in the content of Christianity and home groups to develop Christian leaders.

The Sunday service is described as charismatic, combining contemporary music and the Episcopal liturgy, including communion every Sunday. To learn more about the church and its ministries, visit the church website at www.stbarnabas-austin.org.

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