Following God’s Call Even When it Seems Silly…
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Thu, August 30, 2007
- Viewed 327
- (4) comments so far
“New Birth is a monstrosity of a ministry. Pastor Curney was heir to the throne,” said Darrick Fitzgerald of Stone Mountain, who attended New Birth at the time. “To walk away from that, he got so many calls from people saying, ‘Are you sure? Are you crazy?’ “
Curney and his wife, Aleana, had recently moved into a six-bedroom house with a pool when he decided to quit his job.
Still, Curney insisted he had to do it. “I really felt God was calling me to minister in Gwinnett County,” he said.
Five years later, Curney, a veteran chief executive officer with two degrees in theology, has found his niche. He leads a flock of about 8,000 in a Lilburn strip mall and grocery store complex. New Mercies Christian Church moved in last May after it outgrew its last location. Already, there are plans to expand. The parking lot fills so quickly on a Sunday that members are bused in from a nearby Publix.
In the Bible belt, where saving souls can be a multimillion-dollar business, Jesse Curney III carried the keys to the kingdom. Curney was heir to the throne of a megachurch — the go-to guy at New Birth Missionary Baptist in Lithonia. The right-hand-man of Bishop Eddie Long, the visionary who transformed a small-town church of 300 into an international franchise for salvation. Curney had everything a top-level executive could want. A fancy office with a view. A six-figure salary. A 401(k)-like plan. Freedom to hire. He was the assistant pastor, after all. "I had no problem with being second in command," said Curney. "I always saw myself as a very good second to Bishop. He was like a father to me." Curney was promoted over deacons and elders nearly twice his age to man the pulpit in Long's absence. It seemed, Curney, who was a youth pastor in his 20s at the time, had a gift for attracting teens to church. He could pack them into Bible study tighter than a free rap concert. But just as the congregation reached the 20,000 mark and church holdings had quadrupled, Curney, a father of three with an entrepreneurial spirit, left New Birth without the promise of a golden parachute. He wanted to develop his own brand of church — in Gwinnett County. It was a breakup that brought the congregation to tears. Some people questioned Curney's sanity...
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Leonard on Thu, August 30, 2007
Great stuff here. Thanks for posting this Todd.
DanielR (a different Daniel) on Thu, August 30, 2007
It’s stuff like this that renews hope and makes a body feel good.
Camey on Thu, August 30, 2007
“New Birth has its mission. New Mercies has its mission,” he said. “We are all out to win souls.”
Amen. Grrreeat!
kareemc on Tue, September 04, 2007
Big ups to both Jesse Curney III & Bishop Eddie Long…
I admire Jesse for following God’s calling and not being caught up in the moment. I also give props to Bishop Eddie Long for not holding him back but supporting what God has ordained in Jesse’s life.
I too found myself in a similar situation and people thought I too was crazy for walking away from a ministry that I was instrumental in. I had to follow God’s calling and direction for my life.
You could sleep better at night when you follow God’s will for your life.
in the end, all glory goes to God…
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