Uncommon Christian Ministries moves to Louisville, Kentucky . . . Immanuel Baptist Church & Pastor J. Ryan Fullerton

Uncommon Christian Ministries. Est. 2007.

Uncommon Christian Ministries moved this month to Louisville, Kentucky.

Nicknamed Derby City, River City, Possibility City and The Gateway to the South, Louisville is the 27th largest city in the U.S. (pop. 605,000, over 1.2 million in the metropolitan area). The Ohio River separates the historic city (est. 1780) from southern Indiana.

So ends UCM's time in Port Angeles, Washington, and Marysville, Washington.

The pre-Christian, New England (Connecticut) boyhood dream to "Go West, Young Man" was more than fulfilled:

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4.

"No good thing does [the Lord God] withhold from those who walk uprightly (blameless)." Psalm 84:11b.

"Now to [the Lord God] who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us." Eph. 3:20.

After traveling 2,500 miles throught 8 states, UCM's new home church is Louisville's 126-year-old Immanuel Baptist Church.

At Immanuel (est. 1887, spiritually revitalized 2002- ), I am reunited with my longtime friend (1995- ) from Canada's Prairie Bible College, J. Ryan Fullerton. A fine preacher and an uncommon Christian friend to sinners, Ryan serves (2002- ) the growing, 400-member church as her lead pastor.

Situated on the border of the predominantly African-American Smoketown and Shelby Park neighborhoods of Louisville, the Southern Baptist Convention church is in substantial agreement with the theology and ministry philosophy of 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches and The Gospel Coalition.

Many students and some professors from the nearby Southern Baptist Convention-owned and operated Boyce (Bible) College and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary are members of Immanuel.

Founded in 1859 and with Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. as its 9th and current president, SBTS is one of the largest seminaries in the world. Student enrollment is over 2,000 at the flagship school of the six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries in the U.S.

Partly because of its close proximity and cooperative relationship with Boyce College and SBTS, the church has a 3-year Pastoral Apprenticeship program. Over 70 men participated in the program during the 2012-13 school/ministry year.

Like the many churches and Christian ministries based in the centrally-located American city and state of Louisville, Kentucky, so Immanuel likewise serves as a strategic hub for kingdom-advancing activity. After the Bible college and seminary students who are also Immanuel members graduate, many of them scatter throughout the U.S., Canada and other parts of the globe to serve as church deacons and elders, Sunday school teachers, church planters, evangelists, missionaries, pastors and professors.

This fact combines two passions of mine and is the reason I believe Louisville and Immanuel Baptist Church are a good fit for me and the James Brainerd Taylor-inspired evangelism- and discipleship--themed ministry of Uncommon Christian Ministries:

(1) ministering to Christian youth and young adults who are serious about their faith--and, in some cases, are called to the Gospel ministry--and (2) in the context of the local church.

I am not against academics and para-church ministries as I possess a few academic degrees and had a community college campus para-church ministry for nearly 8 years. But it was for the Church that the Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood (Acts 20:28, Eph. 5:25).

--> NOTE: For the history of the church, see A Great People's Church: A History of Immanuel Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky, 1887-2005 by David N. Theobald (Lulu Press, 2012). "The history documents how Immanuel was/is impacted by the doctrine and vitality of the nearby Southern Baptist Theological Seminary." For the library holdings of the 125-page book, see here.

Immanuel Baptist Church.
Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

Est. 1887.
Present building (3rd location) built 1905.
Spiritually revitalized 2002-present.

Immanuel Baptist Church.
Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

Recently refurbished sanctuary. 2012.
By Redemption Painting Co.

Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

J. Ryan Fullerton, uncommon Christian friend to sinners . . . Pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky . . . 2011 Fellowship Conference, Denton, Texas

Here is a listening- and watching-worthy sermon jam, followed by the entirety of the same sermon.

The sermon is based on Luke 15 and its Parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin and Prodigal Son.

The opening two verses of Luke 15 give the reason why the Lord Jesus presented these particular parables:

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, 'This man receives sinners and eats with them.' So he told them [these parables].

Be blessed as this choice servant of God, uncommon Christian and former Bible college classmate of mine proclaims the truth as it is found in the compassionate, love-filled and non-discriminatory Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:21).

"Jesus: A Friend of Sinners" 

Sermon jam by Identity 313 Productions

13 minutes

"The Value of Sinners, Prostitutes and Drunkards"

or "Great Worth of Worthless Men"

1 hour, 12 minutes

Granted Ministries--a literature, music, sermon and online ministry of Christ Fellowship in Hannibal, Missouri--describes the sermon and its Canadian-born and raised preacher this way:

This message was preached at the 2nd Annual Fellowship Conference (April 21-24, 2011) in Denton, Texas, by J. Ryan Fullerton, one of the elders (2002- ) at Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

[NOTE: Sponsored by three churches, the Fellowship Conference is also affiliated with the HeartCry Missionary Society and its founder Paul Washer. The 3rd annual Fellowship Conference is April 5-8, 2012, in Denton, Texas. Pastor Ryan is a scheduled speaker.]

Those who have sat under Ryan's preaching know that he can expound Scripture to the satisfaction of scholars while at the same time driving the word authoritatively into the heart of those who hear. His messages rarely fail to transform the listener, and they never fail to arouse some kind of response. 

This message is no different and accomplishes a great many things. 

Mainly, Ryan urges us to consistently and diligently preach the gospel to the "prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners" of our communities—and not in a distant and impersonal way, but in ways which bring us into close contact with their lives, even by inviting them into our houses. 

Along the way, this sermon makes many other points.

It shows the graciousness of Christ, who practiced this kind of evangelism. It also confronts common misconceptions of holiness. It even corrects a misapplication of the biblical doctrine of sin, reminding us that even worthless sinners still have great worth before God. 

As Christians, whenever we hear a preacher challenge us, we need to "search the Scriptures to see if these things be so" (Acts 17:11). It is our belief that God intends this message to work repentance into the hearts of many professing Christians lacking Christ-like love for sinners. 

May you listen well, having asked God to open your heart to the word preached.

Among others available online via YouTube.com, IllBeHonest.com and other websites, here are some more messages by Pastor Ryan. Some are videos and some are audio only.

Be blessed as you are instructed and exhorted by this preacher of the Gospel.

+ "The Convicting Power of Grace," 4th annual Fellowship Conference, Denton, Texas, March 29, 2013 . . . "It is grace that spurs on radical obedience to reach lost areas around the world. It is not simply exhortations to be radical that result in people being radical. It is tender forms of kindness and grace that form the most radical discipleship in the world"

+ "3 Reasons Why We Must Cling to God's Word," 1st annual 9Marks Conference ("Expository Preaching") at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, March 2, 2013
--> For all 6 sessions (Dever, Mohler, et al.) and Q&A's, see here

+ "Where Is Your Faith?" (Luke 8:22-25), dorm meeting, Boyce College, Louisville, Kentucky, October 29, 2012

+ "Holy War: Is God Guilty of Genocide?" (Joshua 11), Fellowship Conference, Denton, Texas, April 6, 2012

+ "Daniel: A Man of Prayerful Dependence" (Dan. 9:1-23), 2012 Men's Pancake Breakfast, Clifton Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky, March 10, 2012

+ "Radical Evangelism," breakout session at "Radical: Give Me An Answer" collegiate conference, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, February 18, 2012

+ "Biblical Manhood & Womanhood," 8 messages including Q & A, delivered at Lake Road Chapel, Kirksville, Missouri, February 2012
--> Said one attendee and blogger: "I personally know of no finer introduction to manhood and womanhood from a Christian perspective"

Lake Road Chapel.
Kirksville, Missouri.
February 2012.
Click here to listen to sermon series.

+ "The Power of Example: How Not to Ruin a Perfectly Good Preaching Ministry" (1 Timothy 4:12), chapel message at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, October 19, 2010

+ "Truths That Will Drive You Into A Life of Service" (Hebrews 2:1-4), dorm meeting, Boyce College, Louisville, Kentucky, March 14, 2011

+ "What Is A Christian?" (John 17), dorm meeting, Boyce College, September 13, 2010

+ A message on balance given at a dorm meeting, Boyce College, February 1, 2010

+ Various sermons at Immanuel Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky, October 2007-present

+ Some portions of Ryan's sermons have been included in songs by Christian hip-hop recording artist Flame

Also, see here for some blog posts written by Pastor Ryan.

Information on Ryan's biography and the church where he ministers are both online.

10th Anniversary Surprise Service of Ryan's Pastorate

Immanuel Baptist Church 

Louisville, Kentucky

February 2012

For a 10-minute personal reflection video about Ryan that was given during the commemorative service from one of his mentor-friends (and former Bible college classmate of Ryan and me), Pastor Clint Humfrey of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, click here.

Immanuel Baptist Church. Est. 1887.
Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

Current building (shown here), built 1905.
Spiritually revitalized, 2002-present.

See here for a 10 minute video on Immanuel's
"Deeper and Wider" vision campaign (2013). 

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Est. 1859.
Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

Boyce College. Est. 1974.
Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

Boyce is the undergraduate school
of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.