Rothwell Baptist Church

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Story by Katrice Williams
Photography by Leidy Lester

Rothwell Baptist Church has been a significant part of Pooler’s unique heritage for many years now.

Micah Ellington is the pastor of Rothwell. He believes that the Gospel of Jesus reigns supreme and that Jesus is the sole example of true, pure and perfect love for the world.

Rothwell’s Mission

The history of Rothwell entails the overcoming of some seemingly detrimental odds. Micah reveals that many years ago, both a disastrous church fire and a massive flood yielded tremendous destruction to the building on separate occasions; yet Rothwell still stands. It stands with a mission to: Grow. Connect. Serve. Reach.

“We want to grow in our relationship with God. We want to connect with others and also serve people inside the church and those around us. Then, we want to reach our community with the Gospel,” Micah comments.

Pastor Micah and His Ministry

Micah has been the pastor of Rothwell for nearly a year after moving to the local area from Eagle River, Alaska. He has been involved in ministry since he was about sixteen-years-old; his goal has been to find some way or another to help share the Gospel of Jesus. He has served in numerous capacities within the Body of Christ throughout the years.

“The Lord laid it upon my heart, and I followed Him into ministry. I found different ways that I could serve within the churches that I was a part of, even throughout college, though I didn’t have my first full-time ministry job until my wife and I moved to Alaska,” he says.

As a member of The Crossing Church in Chugiak, Alaska, Micah served in various pastoral roles: teaching pastor, men’s ministry pastor and youth pastor.

“I was able to find the different areas where the Lord was leading me; it was just discovering what the Lord had for me – His calling for my life,” he states.

Micah’s father-in-law Brad Rud has been the senior pastor at The Crossing Church for quite some time.

“He showed me how to lead. He encouraged me and worked with me; he really poured a lot into my life,” Micah adds.

While in Alaska, Micah enjoyed ministering to the youth; he strove to be a positive and relatable example in their lives. Whether ministering to them at church or during youth retreats such as hiking, snowmachining through the mountains or other adventurous outings, Micah loved sharing the Word of God with them.

“I have always had a love for the youth and for being able to speak truth to them to help them live a God-fearing life at a young age. Growing up, I had some incredible youth pastors in my life who showed me what it was to be a man of God. As a youth pastor, I wanted to be able to share some of the mistakes I made early in life so that they could experience an even better life in Christ,” he says.

Often, the apple does not fall far from the tree, as one of Micah’s biggest inspirations is his dad Brad Ellington who has also been a pastor for many years.

“He has been a great role model of what it means to be a follower of Jesus and what it means to serve other people. It has meant a lot to have a faithful and supportive father who has encouraged me to follow what the Lord has laid upon my life,” Micah says.

Micah appreciates several mentors who have supported his walk with Christ over the years, including: Matt Magness, Eric Smith and Kemmer Sorrel. They are friends who have encouraged him to stay true to his calling, challenged his thinking or just offered a listening ear.

The Gospel and Serving

Micah has been able to see the Lord at work within his church community, and he is utterly grateful. In the past year, the congregation has grown by about 40%. He mentions that several individuals have been baptized into Christ this year; he could not be more humbled by that.

“We’re continuing to move forward with what God has called us to do, and we’re excited for the opportunity to share Jesus. We’re praying that the Lord will expand our reach,” he says.

In addition to Sunday morning worship service and Sunday school, Rothwell provides its members and guests several other ways to connect and get involved in the ministry. The church offers a young couples’ small group fellowship on Thursday evenings and a women’s Bible study on Tuesday evenings; it also has a Young at Heart Senior Ministry and a children and youth ministry.

“God is willing to use us. He doesn’t have to, but He wants to; we all have something specific to do … our own purpose. No matter how old or how young, God can use you,” Micah remarks.

Rothwell serves the local area through various outreach activities throughout the year, including: annual Easter egg hunts, Christmas services with plays and musicals to enjoy or even free doughnut and coffee events for elementary school teachers before they begin their school year.

“We’re just asking God to show us ways to reach our community and the people around us so that we can minister to their spiritual needs. My prayer is that we continue to grow and see our impact spread throughout Pooler for the glory of God because it is all about Him, not about us,” he states.

Micah admits that the ministry wants to be faithful in whatever the Lord has for them to do – to boldly and willingly spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“We want to be used by God in a powerful way. We try to be intentional in our conversations. Whether we’re in a coffee shop talking to a waitress, at a gas station or out to eat, we want to invite people to join us on Sundays. They might be hearing the Gospel for the very first time and decide to give their life to Christ,” he says.

Family Inspiration

Moreover, beside many great men of God stands a great woman of God. For Micah, it is his wife Sarah. She has served faithfully at both Rothwell and The Crossing Church in Alaska. Sarah often enjoys sharing her gift of singing with the church community.

“She is so amazing. She has been a huge support for me in the ministry. She has a loving personality. She’s an excellent mother, and she’s my best friend,” Micah says. The couple has four little girls (and a little bundle on the way). The family has enjoyed making Pooler their home.

Pastor Micah Ellington is delighted to share the Gospel of Jesus with others.

“I want my congregation to know that God is using us to reach our community … to reach other people,” he says.

Worship service begins Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. Sunday school begins at 9:45 a.m. For more information, call: (912) 748-7593 or visit rothwellchurch.com.