Pastor begins anew
When the Rev. John Neyman founded a Baptist church 22 years ago, his goal was to reach "unchurched" people. Neyman recently renewed that goal.
He resigned as pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church last month and began SonRise Community Church, which meets at 11 a.m. on Sundays at the Butler County Association for the Blind on North McKean Street.
Neyman said the new church is affiliated with the Conservative Baptist Association.
The church's first official gathering was July 23, with about 40 people present.
Describing SonRise as a community church with Baptist doctrine, Neyman said the church will offer blended services, which encompass traditional and contemporary styles.
But Neyman's overall mission includes hands-on work in the community. "I'm a nontraditionalist," he said. "I didn't grow up in church. That's why I want to help unchurched people."
Citing his role in developing Camp Creation, a summer day camp program in the Island neighborhood, Neyman said he plans to initiate similar kinds of outreach programs through SonRise.
"We want to provide more social needs to the community," he explained, adding financial seminars and grief support groups as projects he envisions.
"We would like to open up some home Bible studies in the community," he added.
Part of that community work is already being carried out by Neyman, who has simultaneously begun work as a counselor at Renewed Life Christian Counseling Services on SouthMcKean Street.
The services at RenewedLife lapsed six months ago when the Rev. Jim Hurd, the primary counselor there, became ill. Hurd died earlier this month.
Neyman said counseling fits well with the hands-on approach to ministry he seeks, and Brian Saunders of Grove City agrees.
Saunders is among the 40-some congregants from Cornerstone who followed Neyman to the new church.
Saunders said he had been making the Sunday commute to Cornerstone for three years because Neyman's style has proved effective for his family, which includes a 16-year-old, two 14-year-olds and a 3-year-old.
"His ministry is wonderful. It's changed my family's life," Saunders said.
"That's the only preacher my kids would actually listen to during church. He does a very good job of breaking down the Bible and explaining it in everyday common terms so that people can understand it."
As well as serving at Cornerstone Baptist Church for 22 years, Neyman worked as an associate pastor with the Rev. Jerry Falwell for three years in Lynchburg, Va.
Neyman graduated from Liberty University College and Seminary in 1983. He later received a doctoral degree in theology from Rochville University in Sarasota, Fla. He is currently working on a doctorate in ministry from Liberty.
