Ron Burt, seated, confers with Good News Fellowship Bishop Sam Jones while hosting the PIE group at the New Vision ministries Church. Photo by: Richard Showalter.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – It was ten o’clock Sunday night, and church planters Ron and Rickie Burt were driving west of their home on the edge of Birmingham, Alabama, when they felt that sinking sensation – a tire going flat.

Ron and Rickie were not ready for one more disappointment. For months they had prayed and planned to buy a meeting place for the new church they were planting in Birmingham. Everything had been in place, and they had painstakingly negotiated the purchase of a building for $360,000.

Then at the last minute, the sellers reneged and sold the property elsewhere. Ron and the congregation were dispirited, but for another year they had carried on, meeting in a small rented building. Now it was October 2002, and Ron had nearly reached the end of his rope. Some people had left the congregation, and others were murmuring about what would be done with the $25,000 in the building fund.

The day before, a contractor who was doing some work on their rented building had told Ron that the owner was preparing to sell it and that they would be evicted. It was the last straw. Ron was seriously considering resigning as pastor, feeling like he had failed.

Yet this evening, Ron and Rickie had been driving around together, praying, grieving, and hoping against hope. Perhaps we’ll see something tonight, they thought. But their hopes sank still further as the air went out of their tire.

Ron found a gasoline station, pulled off the road, and began to work on the tire. At that moment, a tall stranger dressed in a suit and tie walked up and offered Ron a can of tire inflator. When he handed Ron a second can, Ron broke down and began to weep. Until then, he had been cold toward the stranger.

“I’m looking for a church,” Ron explained.

“You’re looking for a church this time of the night?” the stranger asked.

“I’m a pastor, and I’m looking for a church to buy,” Ron said. “Are you a Christian?”

“Yes, I’m a Christian.” The two men introduced themselves as brothers.

At that, the stranger became excited and began to unexpectedly dance around the car, praying aloud and rejoicing in the Spirit. The stranger paused and explained, “I just walked out of a meeting over in that restaurant with the elders of our church,” he pointed. “This evening we’re selling our meeting house. I’d like for you to buy it.”

Together they walked over to the meeting. Ron still felt like he was in a dream. This can’t be real, he thought.

The pastor of the church explained to Ron, “We’re making final plans tonight to sell our church house here in Bessmer. It’s a nice building, appraised at $250,000. But I believe this is of God. The man who came to you while you were fixing the flat is the head of our building committee.” He looked at his elders. “I’d like to sell it to this man for $150,000. Let’s vote."

The vote was unanimous.

Ron sat dazed. He turned to the group and asked, “When can I see the building?” That night about eleven o’clock, he and Rickie drove past it in the fog.

The next Monday, Ron went to the annual meeting of the Partners in Evangelism (PIE) group, who were an important part of the support network for the Birmingham church planters. He had expected to announce his resignation. Instead, with tears in his eyes, he told the story of what had happened that weekend. When Ron heard that PIE chairman Wilmer Hostetler wanted to contribute $50,000, Ron was stunned again.

Before three months had passed, Ron and the congregation were in their new meetinghouse in Bessmer, awed by what God had done. They named the church “New Vision.”

Needless to say, Ron did not resign.

New Vision Ministries Church is a part of Good News Fellowship, a circle of southern Anabaptist churches in partnership with EMM.

-Richard Showalter

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