On Sunday, March 19, 2006 Community Congregational United Church of Christ located at 3481 South Court Street in Montgomery, Alabama was blessed with the presence of their new pastor, 45 year-old Rev. Terry McCreary. Rev. McCreary was called to the church after a nationwide search. 

The departure of our pastor Bennie Liggins last year was a devastating event. I thought that we would never find an adequate replacement. I prayed very hard about it and submitted the name of my friend of 27 years Rev. Terry McCreary. Rev. McCreary answered the call, participated in the vigorous interview process and the rest is history. 

Rev. McCreary is a distinguished graduate of Morris Brown College and Candler School of Theology at Emory University both schools located in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a native of Buffalo, New York with strong ties to his mother’s hometown of Evergreen, Alabama. Rev. McCreary served as Senior Pastor of St. Timothy A.M.E. Church in Valdosta, Georgia until he accepted the call to Community Congregational United Church of Christ. 

I was very pleased with his first sermon as the official pastor. Rev. McCreary’s first sermon was based on Exodus 3: “GOD WANTS US TO SHARE IN THE PRIVILEGE OF LEADERSHIP”. God says to Moses, “So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt. Moses begins to voice doubts. Moses has been called to a very dangerous task; return to his homeland where he fled after his involvement in a political murder. Moses is called to return, in the name of God, challenge the status quo in the name of a foreign God. Moses is to confront the oppressors and lead his people out of Egypt through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Moses has no army, no plan, and no war chest. All Moses has is God on his side! 

A great deal of thanks is owed to the Church leaders of Community Congregational United Church of Christ who held the church together after the departure of our former pastor Rev. Bennie Liggins. They are: Rev. Dorinda P. Broadnax, Senior Associate Pastor, Rev. Kim Shelton, Associate Pastor, Rev. Reginald Eggleston, Associate Pastor, Bro. Willie Thornton, Minister of Music, Atty. Terry Davis, Church Moderator, Dr. Joe L. Reed, Chairman Trustee Board, Bro. Ken Scott, Chairman Deacon Board and  members of our Pulpit Search Committee. 

If you are in the mood to visit a church come meet our dynamic new pastor and worship with us. Our services begin at 10:45 am every Sunday. On the fourth Sunday of each month is casual Sunday and we feed the entire congregation. We would be delighted to have you visit with us. We know that you will be uplifted.

In the words of my dad, “If you don’t have money at least have class!”

Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com