In Uncertain Times, the Certainty of Faith

The children of Israel, after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, were being prepared to go into the land promised to them by God. Moses, who had led them in this journey, was turning over the leadership reins to Joshua. In Joshua 1, we can read God's charge to the new leader:
6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

In those four verses, the word "courage" appears twice and "courageous" once.  For Christians, that can remind us that we can trust in God, even and especially through our transitions.  Change will come - uncertainty is a certainty, but we can also be certain of God's faithfulness and the reliability of His promises and His presence. He gives us strength to navigate what is to come, and provides incredible resources to apply to our challenges. 

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Paul encourages us to remain steadfast in the Lord, and I believe that applies to times of transition that we may encounter. In 2nd Timothy chapter 1, he reviews the call of God on his life, and writes;
12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

Stanton, Tennessee, you could say, is a hamlet located between Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee.  Google says that the population of Stanton is less than 500 people.  But, it's located near I-40, and things are about to change.  And, church leaders are gearing up for it. 

The Baptist Paper reported on how the population of the area is expected to grow, thanks to the Ford Motor Company's ambitious new plant called BlueOval City, which, according to the article, "is expected to employ an estimated 10,000 workers when it is fully operational..." The article says that it "is a point of evangelistic emphasis for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board as part of the Acts 2:17 Initiative."

Mike Young, Pastor of Zion Baptist Church in nearby Brownsville, says, “God has been at work here at ground zero of the BlueOval region since the groundbreaking,” Young said. “The churches of the Haywood Baptist Association have coalesced and worked together to seize this unique opportunity of reaching this great influx of workers that have descended on Haywood County..."

The pastor notes, “Many RV parks have sprung up all across Haywood County...Living in these travel trailers are workers from all walks of life and from all parts of the nation and world. One missional strategy implemented by the HBA is to hold block parties. The strategy is to set up near the RV park, grill burgers and give away door prizes to draw them in.”  The article notes:

The church has hosted several of these “evangelistic cookouts” and has formed many new relationships as a result.

“When people come (to the block parties), we engage them in gospel conversations,” Young said. “And then we have a speaker give a very brief testimony, share the gospel and have a time of response. The results have been incredible.”

The article goes on to say:

Danny Sinquefield, Harvest Field One Team Leader for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, is serving as the coordinator of the TBMB’s BlueOval City Initiative. The project aims to incorporate and empower local churches to make connections at BlueOval City, which is expected to bring a population increase of 90,000 to the area during the next 10 years.

Sinquefield said the Initiative is already having a big impact on the area.

“We are seeing more and more pastors and churches with stories of BOC workers that have come to know the Lord, been baptized and joined some of our area churches,” Sinquefield said.

Another story in the article comes from a pastor who is relatively new to the area: Ben Cowell at Brownsville Baptist Church, who, according to the Baptist Paper article, "said he has seen the Lord moving in a special way since 2022, when he and his family answered the call to move to the Stanton area to be part of the BlueOval Initiative."  Cowell is quoted as saying:

“Part of the consistent joy my family and I are experiencing from serving the Lord in Haywood County is seeing God’s providential hand at work on a daily basis,” he said. “There are several Kingdom opportunities around every corner that only God could orchestrate. In many ways, we can easily see how God has been at work here long before He called us to come and serve.”

Certainly, the location of a large automotive factory can be a boom for the local economy. We've seen it in the River Region and beyond, with the location of Hyundai many years ago making a permanent statement to our area and representing a shift in ministry, as more families, including those from South Korea, have moved in.  Economic factors can be a catalyst for spiritual strategies. 

With the BlueOval City project, this is illustrated, as well.  But, there is an air of uncertainty.  According to Fox 13 Memphis earlier this month:

Ford is planning to cut production of its new F-150 Lightning electric truck in half next year, according to multiple reports.

When asked how that could impact Blue Oval City in west Tennessee, a Ford spokeswoman wrote to FOX13, "We will continue to match production to customer demand."

However, the mayor of Haywood County assured that the $5.6 billion Blue Oval City will still open in 2025, creating more than eight thousand jobs for the region.

“It's full steam ahead," said Mayor David Livingston. "This is transformational. As Bill Ford said to me, 'This is a revolution, not an evolution.'”

Mayor Livingston told FOX13 he is in constant contact with Ford. He suspects the company's sizable investment will pay off for decades to come.

"It's too big to fail - literally," he said. "You've never had a company like Ford Motor Company come to this area and put the stake it's had in Tennessee. It won't fail."

However, electric vehicles are not yet profitable for Ford. According to the company's third-quarter earnings report, Ford lost $36,000 for every electric vehicle it sold in the quarter.

The impracticalities of widespread electric vehicle use could negatively impact the BlueOval City project, which has a heavy emphasis on the production of EV's.

So, this might add a new dynamic to the churches who have been positioned by the Lord to do ministry in that area - too early to tell, but Ford is wisely reconsidering its commitment to electric vehicles, which could be a repurposing of this proposed mammoth plant. 

Last Monday was tax day, and I'm reminded of the old cliche that there are two things you can count on: death and taxes.  I would submit that you could add at least one more thing to the list, in addition to the surety of the love of God, and that is that change is inevitable.  And, God gives us the ability to respond to change.

Thousands, over the next few years, will likely be uprooting their lives and moving to West Tennessee to work for Ford Motor Company.  And, you could have thousands seeing the promise of personal prosperity tempered by the empty promises of fear-based climate policy.  But, think about this: uncertainty is a certainty. Why, the Bible says in James that we are not even promised tomorrow. But, we also know that in the uncertainty of our very existence here on earth, if we know Jesus, we know who is waiting for us on the other side!!

I am also reminded of the line from the movie Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come."  People have come to the River Region to work at an auto plant - same for East Alabama.  And, where people are gathering, ministry can be happening.  Kudos to Tennessee Baptists for possessing and following God's vision to implement ministry strategy to reach those who are coming. We can be challenged to see people as people and recognize that there are needs all around us, wherever we may be.