Snowstorm doesn’t deter church launch in central Ohio for Send Network planter

Editor’s note: Sunday, March 16, is Church Planting Sunday in the Southern Baptist Convention. This story first appeared in Baptist Press.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (BP) – A year’s planning had gone into Change City Church in central Ohio before launch day on what was initially a rainy Feb. 16. That’s when the texts started arriving on Pastor Darryl Baker’s phone.

“Are you still launching? We are shut down. There’s a snow emergency here,” a Cincinnati pastor texted Baker. But that was 120 miles away. In Pickerington, it was only raining and freezing cold.

“Hey, are you still launching today?” a friend from Columbus called. “We’re online only. It’s a snow emergency. You can’t even drive around here. It’s terrible.” Columbus is much closer, 17 miles northwest.