Ken Durham's path to the pastorate wasn't exactly traditional. When he first felt called to be a pastor at the age of nineteen, he didn’t think he could handle it. So instead, he ignored it. After another thirty years, however, he surrendered to the ministry and was ordained.
In 2014, Ken was over sixty and wanted to simply coast into retirement. Again, the Lord had other plans for him. Instead of retiring, Ken stepped up to pastors Juncture Church.
What is Juncture Church like?
Juncture Church began as a small group of about twenty believers who wanted to do things a little differently. Instead of getting bogged down in their own internal church programs, they wanted outward service to be automatic in the culture of their church.
So, as they joined together as a church, they had two mission statements in mind. First, Juncture Church committed to starting new churches. Second, they wanted to help existing churches and ministries that were struggling to survive and become viable.
This goal required members of Juncture Church to be in the community, build relationships, and listen to the real and felt needs of those around them. Many members are handy and enjoy working with their hands. So they used their building, repair, and maintenance skills as a means of ministry. Since half of the current church has had an addiction or legal issues, they relate and reach out to those in the margins. On the average Sunday, you can find people wearing everything from nice dresses to shorts and white tees.
Serving Who They Can
To achieve their outreach goals, Juncture Church aims to remain flexible to the needs of its community. "When a need arises," Ken Durham said, "we try to meet it. We change and adapt ministries to whatever the community needs. We think that's what a community church should do."
Last summer, Juncture Church members packed up breakfast supplies and regularly drove the 30-40 minutes it took to feed Mission Centers of Houston's summer missionaries.
After building some relationships in the Cross Timber Airlines area, they found several homeless people were open to gospel conversations. So one Sunday a month, Juncture Church members decided to drive to share socks, food, and God's Word with those in the area.
On the first Saturday of the month, they started a farmer's market to provide canned goods, cleaning supplies, and produce for those in the community. After a while, Queens Lane Apartments approached them to ask if they would be interested in hosting the farmer's market in their apartment complex.
Church Planting and Replanting
Juncture Church uses their heart and hands to support others. Many members have hands-on skills like building and wiring they use to help struggling churches. They built a church building and are currently working on a pastorate for a church outside of Guadalajara, Mexico. They also partnered with Sterlingwood Church to start a Chi (Chimaltenango) "Christ for Guatemala."
True to the second part of their mission, they have helped replant churches as well. For many years, Juncture Church was happy to meet in various different places. They spent two years in a hotel, moved to a Teen Challenge chapel they helped rebuild, and their Spanish-speaking congregation moved into a suburban church building they helped repair.
Several years ago, UBA Church Consultant Sally Hinzie introduced Ken Durham to Queens Road Baptist. During their first meeting, the Queens Road pastor for 30 years, Conda Traxler, offered to give Juncture Church the church building if they would stay to rebuild it. Ken describes how God had prepared the hearts of Queens Road Baptist pastor and deacons with a unique humility.
The first week after Queens Road disbanded, every member of Queens Road’s former congregation walked the aisle the next week and to join Juncture. With open hearts, they embraced the new leadership, and the transition was uncommonly smooth. They began repairing the building and baptized 29 adults committing to follow Christ.
Raising Up Leaders
As smooth as the transition was, it was still an adjustment. Juncture’s congregation had to struggle with the responsibilities as well as the benefits a permanent building can bring. Members reached the edge of their expertise and had to call in and professional, which wasn’t cheap. Ken noted the problems that a building can create, but he and the congregation were committed to keeping the gospel presence in that neighborhood.
Ken Durham is also looking ahead to the future leadership of Juncture Church after he retires. He believes in the importance of raising up leaders from within the church and has already begun that process. He’s investing in Associate Pastor Jeremy McKewen who he hopes will become the lead pastor in March 2023 when he retires.
How can you pray for Juncture?
Patience in the process of building, discipleship, and community service. We want things to happen quickly but have to wait.
Discipling new adult believers who are in the lifelong process of change
We want our community inside the church, but they struggle to trust and join a church. We want to show that they're in the relationship with the community for the long run and to display Christ to them.
We’ll send one succinct weekly email
with the best news, events, and info
for churches in the Houston area.
Photo by Joshua Rodriguez on Unsplash
Juncture is one example of using your skills to serve the community, raising up leaders from within, and doing what it takes to reach the lost in your context.