In the mid-1980s the seeds of the Greater Nashville Church were planted by two small groups—one in the tiny Tennessee town of Hartsville and the other in the city of Nashville. By 1988 these two groups had come together and invited in leaders from Boston church who led the church in a formal beginning in August 1988. On August 25, 2013, the Greater Nashville Church celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a service in the sprawling and sparkling new Music City Center in downtown Nashville.
The activities had begun on Saturday with a brunch for former leaders, a dinner for Mid-South leaders and activities for teens, campus and singles from Mid-South churches. Then on Sunday the Christians in Nashville were excited to see large numbers from the Tennessee churches of Knoxville, Chattanooga and Memphis, along with others from Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Many former members still living in the Nashville area were present, swelling the crowd to 850. Doug and Jennifer Lambert, who led the Nashville ministry for eight years until 2005, came from Cincinnati and shared thoughts before the communion. Fabio Miguel Castellandos and his wife, Monica, leaders of the church in Quito, Ecuador, were there with Fabio Miguel sharing about the many churches in the Andean region of South American that had been supported for most of the twenty-five years by Nashville and other Mid-South churches. Other former leaders returning for the day were Steve and Diane Brown and Dr. Gary and Karen Jacque. Steve served as a teacher for seven years in the Nashville church and continues to coordinate the church’s ministry to South America. The Jacques were key leaders in the early days of the work in Nashville. Gary is now with HOPE worldwide in Philadelphia.
A great time of worship was led by Rascoe Gordon, long-time worship leader in Nashville, and by the talented singers and musicians of the Greater Nashville Church. Terry and Sue Folker, new lead evangelist and women’s ministry leader for the Greater Nashville Church, had arrived in Nashville just ten days before the service after leading for two years in Berlin, Germany. Terry proclaimed the message for the day focusing on the greatest love story the world has heard and how that message of Jesus’ love for the world should lead to far more than typical religion.The day provided a time to celebrate what God has done, reconnect with old friends, enjoy rich fellowship and make new commitments for the future—which always belongs to God. In Nashville on August 24 some very special times were remembered, God was praised, and the page was turned as an exciting new chapter begins.