by John Gross
New York City veteran pastor Tim Keller has written:
“God began history in the Garden, but is ending it in the city … People are pouring into the cities … the looming question is whether or not planet earth will be able to handle the mega-surge of people pouring into the cities from all over the world … Back in 1950 there were 2.2 billion of us. Today’s estimate is 6.6 billion. If today’s birthrates continue to accelerate in the major cities of the world by 2050, the figures suggest there will be 11.7 billion people on earth. If this happens, there will need to be built one city of 1 million people every week for the next 43 years.”
In January 2015, the BBF Builders headed to inner-city Detroit to come alongside Pastor Jerel Bland and the Hope church. This new church launched September 28, 2014, in the old Packard showroom with plans to use the facility as a significant outreach center near downtown Detroit. The team is building out a section of the facility that will serve as an outreach center for “at-risk” children in one of the most depressed areas of the country. Ron Trosclair, BBF Builder’s team leader, told me he welcomes volunteers and financial support for those who want to become involved in this winter project.
This winter, the Builders will also begin working with Revive Baptist Church in inner city Cincinnati, OH, where Pastor Kirk Kirkland has planted this work. The church has acquired a 13,000-square-foot building needing to be built out. Midway Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC, will be providing work assistance in this remodeling project.
The Builders have been a blessing to suburban areas as well as inner-city projects throughout the country. They have been helping our churches build their structures for over 15 years — developing over 100 church projects. At the church’s invitation they volunteer their labor, bringing their RVs and motor homes for their lodging.
Ron Trosclair, Jack Reed, and Charles Rogers, along with their wives, form a remarkable team. There are other volunteers who join them on each project. In these few short years they have saved churches over $12,000,000. This is truly a work of love on the part of these wonderful people. Their financial support comes from our Fellowship churches and individuals. Our Fellowship is marvelously blessed to have this team working with us.
Some projects in 2015 include: Fellowship Baptist Church, Winamac IN; Mercy Baptist Church, Jackson, MS; Dunnegan Bible Church, Dunnegan, MO; Park Crest Baptist Church, Springfield, MO; West Division St. Baptist Church, Springfield, MO; and Serenity Baptist Church, West Chester, OH. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Ron at rontros@yahoo.com or phone (318) 623-6225.