Greater Exodus Baptist Church
The Greater Exodus Baptist Church was born out of the New Thankful Baptist Church in Philadelphia. On November 21, 1971 the church was officially organized. Greater Exodus moved to its present location at 704-714 North Broad Street in 1974.
Mission and Ministries
The mission of Greater Exodus Baptist Church is “To bring people to Jesus Christ and membership in His church, to develop them to Christ-like maturity, to equip them for ministry and life-mission in the church and community in order to magnify God’s name.
One of the most important things that a new believer in the Lord finds out is that s/he has become a part of the Body of Christ, and that s/he no longer exists for him or herself, but for the Lord, His people and His objectives. God has a purpose in His church for every believer, and He not only expects each of his children to become active in contributing to the good of the church family, He distributes gifts and abilities to make that possible, He provides the wisdom, strength and power needed for the performance of each ministry, and He is the source of the love necessary for the exercise of each gift in such a way that it brings true life and blessing.
There are two chapters in the Bible which speak plainly to this point, and they are found in I Corinthians, chapters 12 and 13. Paul makes it clear in I Cor. 12, beginning in verse 14, that “The body is not made up of one part but of many,” and that “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wants them to be.” (v. 18) Verses 21 and following explain that every member of the body needs every other member of the body, and that all deserve respect and honor . . .”So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” Paul also explains that no one has all gifts and abilities, but that each has his or her own special gifts to present to the church for its greater good, and that these gifts are given for the purpose of service and ministry.
However, the outward performance of a ministry is not enough. It is brought to our attention in I Corinthians 13 that it would be possible for us to do something even as enormous as giving up everything we own for the poor or giving our very bodies to be burned, and yet for those acts to be worthless in the sight of God if they do not spring from a heart enlivened by His pure love. It is easy to slip into the belief, in our hectic lives, that doing the thing must mean that we have pleased the Lord. But God is the Great Searcher of Hearts and Motives. He is not just after the act of ministry from us. He is after our hearts, and we must seek to be as pure a channel as we possibly can be for His love to flow through us and onto others as we perform ministry within the Body of Christ. Our ministry must be ignited by the very love of God, or it is worthless.
Greater Exodus Baptist Church, under the leadership of Pastor Herbert H. Lusk, II, provides an enormous array of opportunities for ministry. It is safe to assume that each child of God has been given at least one gift enabling him or her to perform ministry for the sake of the greater good of the whole Church Body. What is yours? Please look over the ministries of Greater Exodus that follow, and if you have questions about which is the best match for you, please speak with Pastor Lusk or another of the ministers in the church who would be pleased to help you in your search. You are needed and valued as a member of the church family, and if you are not yet active in some sort of ministry, please pray about it and then get involved! Not only will you bring blessing to others, but you will find blessing as well.
