Congregation members pray during a Kingdom Word Outreach Ministries service on Sunday in Greenfield.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
GREENFIELD — The belted words of a Psalm resound among the wooden pews, filling the white chapel with sound.
“The Lord is my light and salvation / whom shall I fear / of whom shall I be afraid?”
Three singers sway rhythmically up front as they sing out lyrics based on Psalm 27 in the Bible. The congregation joins in as the line is repeated. At the east end of the stage a small band meshes with the voices, the drummer punctuating beats and the organist’s fingers scurrying over the keys with animation.
It’s Sunday afternoon, and the congregation of Kingdom Word Outreach Ministries has gathered for worship in downtown Greenfield.
“At the Kingdom we also love to praise the name of the Lord,” the lead singer says. “We love to give him a good dance, we love to give him a good shout. If you don’t mind … put your hands together while we praise the Name.”
There will be a lot of clapping during this service, not only for keeping beat during the singing, but also for expressing agreement during the sermon.
Deep into the Feb. 26 sermon, the speaker quotes a passage in the Gospel of Luke in which Jesus says he’s calling not the righteous but sinners. He talks about being a clinic people visit as opposed to a hospital where the sick find healing.
“Tell it! Tell it!” comes a call from someone listening. Later in the sermon, several women stand up, gripping the pew in front of them and leaning forward, nodding. Sometimes the organ also springs back into action with an air of emphatic endorsement as well.
Kingdom Word began renting space in The Garden Chapel, a wedding and event venue at 226 W. North St., in January. The congregation’s services are at 1 p.m. Sundays.
Morgan Thomas, owner of The Garden Chapel, continues to operate the chapel but said she had decided to give up Sundays for weddings so she could attend church herself and spend time with her family. She said she’d been praying about how God would use the chapel and began to reach out to churches.
“The moment I spoke to Kingdom Word Outreach Ministries, I knew they were the ones. They were on fire for the Lord, and just genuine people ready to do outreach in our community,” she wrote in an email. “… So yes, I am also doing weddings, receptions, and events on the other days of the week! The only difference now, is that God is able to SHINE a little brighter through this little chapel. Our community has already been so welcoming of them … this will be a blessing to our growing community!”
Before moving to Greenfield, Kingdom Word shared a building in Indianapolis with another church, a little north of the Interstate 70/Interstate 65 north split.
“My desire was for God to give us our own location … Lo and behold, God just connected the dots,” said the church’s pastor, Bishop Alexander Wortham. “It was a great blessing.”
Kingdom Word is an independent, non-denominational church, Wortham said. He has ties, though, to the Church of the Living God, which has headquarters in Indianapolis.
“We worship, we praise, we shout, we speak in tongues,” Wortham said. “Our church is a power-packed Pentecostal movement.”
Church of the Living God leaders visited Greenfield on Feb. 26 for a dedication service. They count nearly 50 churches with such ties in more than a dozen states — in addition to several overseas.
“I hope to see more people added to the Body of Christ,” Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem said after the Greenfield service. It was his first dedication service as general overseer, and he preached the sermon for the service, in which he used the clinic vs. hospital analogy. “I look forward to coming back and seeing the growth.”
Daniella Phillips joined Kingdom Word about a year ago after being a “loyal visitor” for a while.
“Then they welcomed my family, and I didn’t feel like just a number,” she said. “They actually took an interest in including my kids into the church, and that was what sold me. It’s really like a big family.”
Wortham said about 14 new members have joined the church since January. He said he and his wife, Lakeisha, have met people and struck up conversations as they’ve run errands in town, and some of them have come to a service.
Wortham has also felt welcomed by fellow pastors in town, meeting many at the local ministerial association and being invited to speak a Greater Greenfield Body Builders gathering focused on evangelism today (March 11) at Curry’s Chapel Church.
“We’re trying to do a lot of things in Greenfield. I know my goal is to really get out in the community. I know it’s a culture shock for a lot of people, you know, with us being a predominantly African American church,” he said. “But I think it gives people an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, let’s fellowship’ … I’m excited to see some of the (local) pastors came today and fellowshipped with us. That was encouraging.
“We’re excited to be a part of the community. … I’m excited for this new season and to see what God has in store.”
