Episode 137 - Being That Church That Loves the People Jesus Loved

Pastor Rob and his wife Kelly outside their Northeast Philadelphia church. Bethel, the Church at Philadelphia Mills. Bethel hosts the Willowcreek Leadership Summit each year!

Rob and I sat down in his office this summer to record this conversation for the 200churches Podcast. Rob has pastored Bethel since Easter Sunday 1996. Bethel is a special place that exhibits both grace and mercy to run-of-the-mill sinners, as well as notorious sinners! 

Rob and I were notorious roommates in our college days, and have been best friends ever since, now over thirty years! There is not much we don't know and understand about each other. Rob is a 200church pastor about 8-times over. His church has grown from 80 to around 1,600 in the past 19 years. That is very slow, but very steady growth. He is a 200church pastor in the very best sense of the term.

Rob speaks with passion, conviction, and clarity in this episode about being the kind of church that attracts and loves the people Jesus hung around with - which caused the religious elite to say he was a "friend of sinners." We know you will be encouraged and challenged by this episode.

A Great 200church Side-Story...

I (Jeff) was stuck in NY this week without a printer, and needed to print off an important insurance document to help my mother. I dropped by the neighborhood 200church - the Avon Wesleyan Church (Avon, NY) and Pastor Peter Maclauchlan was very willing to help me out! (I mispronounce his name in this episode, at 46:11) Sorry Peter!

Peter had never met me, yet was willing to adjust a busy schedule on the fly to help a total stranger. A big SHOUT-OUT to Pastor Peter! THANKS for helping a fellow pastor in a time of need. You get the gold star this week from the 200churches Podcast! You can view the Avon Wesleyan Church website right here!

Pastor Peter in his lobby, trying to smile for the weird guy who wanted to snap his picture!

A classic 200church auditorium! This church is making a difference in their neck of the woods!