Seeing God Bring Unity Between Two Congregations
Author: Keith Jackson
“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)
When God unifies His people, it is always a beautiful work of grace. At Christ’s Fellowship, we have watched Him do what only He can do: bring two congregations together as one family, knit by the Spirit, shaped by the gospel, and committed to the mission of Jesus. The story of our replant at Christ’s Fellowship is not a story of clever strategy but a testimony of God’s faithfulness. He builds His church, and when His people cooperate with His grace, He works in ways we could never imagine.
From Decline to a Door of Hope
Grace Point Church was once a vibrant and healthy congregation, but years of spiritual decline and poor leadership eventually reduced the church to thirty-two members. Those thirty-two saints carried deep wounds from their past, yet they also carried courage and hope. A small group of faithful leaders “held the rope” laboring in prayer and perseverance until help could come. Without their steadfastness, the church would have died. But God was writing a different story.
Meanwhile, The Journey Church (TJC), a spiritually strong and missionally driven congregation, had been praying for opportunities to replant churches. Burdened by the state of the American church and eager to see dying congregations revitalized, TJC spent years training up leaders to become pastors, missionaries, church planters, and replanters. On October 13, 2024, the Lord opened the door: Grace Point approved the replant.
TJC sent four pastors and several spiritually healthy families to join the legacy members of Grace Point, not to take over, not to rescue, and not to overshadow, but to join them in seeing what God might do through a renewed church in Gallatin. It was not two churches merging. From day one, it was one church becoming Christ’s Fellowship.
Unity in the Early Days
Unity began immediately. All thirty-two Grace Point members voted unanimously to move forward with the replant. Before unity was ever taught, it was witnessed. That vote was not only an administrative formality but a miracle of grace. It was the Spirit knitting hearts together before we had even moved into the same building.
But unity did not mean the absence of fear. Legacy members had been hurt by leadership failures in the past, so trust had to be earned. They had questions. Hard and honest ones. And the new pastoral team answered every one of them with clarity, humility, and transparency. A commitment was made early on that the leadership team would always be transparent, act with integrity, and do what we said we would do. While the leadership failures of the past created spiritual wounds, with God’s grace and new godly leadership those wounds were being healed.
Beginning in October 2024, the pastors and their families came first. Then, starting in December, two or three TJC families joined each week. This slow integration allowed both congregations to meet each other, build relationships, and grow into a new identity together. By December 29, 2024, the two bodies worshiped together in one service for the first time.
During this season, a transition team was established and was composed of the new pastoral team and three key legacy leaders. Every major decision from building searches, finances, and ministries went through that team. The collective wisdom, perspective, and pulse on the legacy body were vital. The transition team helped ensure that nothing was done too quickly, drastically, or without the relational capital needed to maintain unity.
One of the legacy leaders eventually became an elder. Today, we have five elders shepherding one flock. That, too, is a testimony of God’s healing work.
Practices That Strengthened Unity
While the Spirit alone creates unity (Ephesians 4:3), God uses real, practical means to strengthen it. At Christ’s Fellowship, several commitments became foundational:
1. Preaching Vision and Unity from Day One
From the earliest days, the pulpit established the tone. The church was reminded that unity is not something believers create but rather something already secured in Christ. Christians possess a shared Savior, a shared Spirit, and a shared mission. This theological foundation continually reinforced the truth that the congregation was not just two groups blending together, but one body formed by Jesus.
2. Transparent and Consistent Communication
Transparency played a significant role in restoring trust. Important decisions such those about finances, ministry direction, or leadership structure were communicated clearly and consistently. Legacy members who had once suffered through seasons of unclear or unhealthy leadership began to witness spiritual integrity through frequent updates, open dialogue, and accessible information. This steady clarity cultivated peace and trust instead of suspicion.
3. Intentional Discipleship Pathways
Unity grew as discipleship deepened. Opportunities for discipleship were created with the entire body in mind. Legacy members were invited, welcomed, and intentionally integrated into these discipleship pathways. As the church pursued spiritual growth side by side, relationships formed naturally and meaningfully.
4. A Culture of Shared Mission
Mission has a way of binding hearts together. Throughout the first year, the congregation was encouraged to join in local evangelism, community outreach events, and multiple short-term mission trips. Legacy members eagerly engaged in each of these opportunities, serving shoulder to shoulder with newer families. As the church looked outward toward Gallatin and the nations, the internal bonds of fellowship grew stronger.
When Christians focus on building God’s kingdom instead of their own, unity is the natural fruit.
A Year of Visible Fruit
The unity experienced on day one became visibly stronger each month. What once may have been perceived as two congregations, slowly became indistinguishable. There is no “legacy member section” or “TJC section” on Sunday mornings. The sanctuary is blended, relationships are strong, and worship is vibrant.
Spiritually, Christ’s Fellowship is healthy and growing. Our year-one vision was simple: equip the saints for the works God has prepared. Through the simple, but gospel rich ministries of worship, discipleship, and mobilization, the body is being built up and sent out on mission. People are meeting Christ. Lives are being changed. Families are being discipled. The gospel is bearing fruit.
This is what happens when God unifies His people.
What Other Replanters Should Know
Replanting is hard but essential work. Dying churches matter to Jesus, because His people matter to Him. And unity is not optional. If a replant is going to flourish, unity must be pursued, protected, and prized.
Let me offer three encouragements to fellow pastors and church leaders:
1. Unity is already yours in Christ.
You don’t create it; you maintain it (Ephesians 4:3). Unity is a spiritual reality secured by the blood of Jesus and applied by the Spirit, not the result of human effort. Pastors who remember this can lead with confidence and patience, trusting that God has already laid the foundation for the work ahead.
2. Unity grows where humility lives.
Leaders must resist the temptation to enter a replant as heroes or saviors. Legacy members must not be treated as projects or problems, but as brothers and sisters who share the same inheritance in Christ. Humility softens hearts, disarms fears, and creates the relational soil where trust can grow and healing can begin.
3. Unity thrives when the mission is central.
A church consumed with the Great Commission has little energy left for conflict or preference-driven battles. When believers are focused on advancing God’s kingdom rather than protecting their own comfort, unity becomes the natural byproduct. Mission redirects hearts outward, aligning the congregation around what matters most: seeing Christ exalted among their neighbors and the nations.
A Testimony of Grace
Today, Christ’s Fellowship stands as a living testimony to the truth of Psalm 133:1: unity is good, and unity is pleasant. But even more, unity is powerful. It reflects the heart of Jesus, it displays the beauty of the gospel, and it fuels the mission of the church. May every replant and revitalization effort across our nation experience what we have experienced, not because of strategy, skill, or strength, but because the Spirit of God unites the people of God for the glory of God.