Through CBF North Carolina’s Field Education Residency Program, pastor Jeff Spargo and resident Rev. Kenroy Miller are discovering how God’s timing and presence are shaping their journey together at Covenant Baptist Church in Gastonia. This week, we hear from both as they reflect on the first month of the residency and the ways God is already at work.
The Timing of Things
By Pastor Jeff Spargo | Covenant Baptist Church, Gastonia
September is always a busy month in the life of our church. Ministries that paused during the summer begin anew, newly elected deacons are ordained and installed for their terms, and then there is Homecoming, all taking place in a month that begins with a holiday weekend.
Into this mix came the commissioning of our new Pastoral Resident, Kenroy Miller, who could not officially begin his residency until September.
We shared his biography with the church in our August newsletter and placed printed copies in Sunday School classes and throughout the church. We also talked about the Pastoral Resident during Sunday morning services leading up to his arrival.
Rev. Kenroy Miller and wife Chiquita with some of the church staff at the Meet & Greet on September 9, 2026.
On that first Sunday, we planned for Kenroy to spend time in the meeting space before and after Sunday School so church members could at least have a brief opportunity to meet him before the commissioning service.
We also planned an official Meet and Greet for the following Wednesday night. To prepare and to help build excitement for the beginning of a new church year with Kenroy, our staff decided to rebrand the Wednesday night activities through a church-wide naming contest. Members submitted ideas for a new name, and from these suggestions came Wednesday Night Live!
I must admit, when that first Sunday in September arrived, I was nervous. How would the church respond to commissioning someone they didn’t know? Would Kenroy feel welcomed?
And yet, for all my concern about the timing, everything turned out wonderfully.
The church immediately embraced Kenroy and welcomed him with open arms. Everyone present participated in the commissioning service, and many had wonderful comments to share afterward. Then, that first Wednesday Night Live was extremely well attended. Both the new name and the arrival of our Pastoral Resident brought the excitement we had hoped for!
Now that we are a month into the residency, relationships are growing, and there is a real sense of excitement in the church as we look forward to what this partnership will bring.
The timing may not have matched my expectations or my hopes, but as I was reminded, God’s timing is everything. What initially seemed like an awkward schedule turned out to be exactly the beginning we needed. Looking back, I can see God’s hand at work in bringing Covenant Baptist and Kenroy Miller together through CBF North Carolina’s Field Education Residency program.
Sometimes we worry about getting the timing right. But God is already at work, even when we cannot yet see what God is doing.
Rev. Kenroy Miller and wife Chiquita being prayed over during commissioning service at Covenant Baptist on September 6, 2026.
“Look at God” in My First Month at Covenant
By Rev. Kenroy Miller | CBFNC Field Education Residency Program
During my first month as a CBFNC field education resident at Covenant Baptist Church, I have received a welcome that has made this new place feel like home. On my first Sunday, the congregation greeted me warmly. I have since sung with the choir, lead Bible study, and met members over conversation and fellowship. At a Wednesday meet and greet, I had the chance to listen and answer questions about my residency. Pastor Jeff later told me that the conversation helped ease one member’s concerns.
Of all these experiences, one pastoral visit stayed with me. Pastor Jeff and I went to see Lady Dot, a longtime member who had returned home after a fall and surgery. Her husband had died within the past two years, and her son and two daughters remain close by. She is independent and full of life; she told me how much she enjoys singing in the choir and playing tennis each week.
We went to encourage her, but I left encouraged myself. Her daughters welcomed us with such warmth that I felt at ease as soon as we entered. Then Lady Dot began to tell us how she had experienced God’s care during a frightening time. She was grateful that she recognized the need for help when symptoms appeared. She also gave thanks that both her daughters worked at the hospital and were able to be near her.
As we listened, we found ourselves saying, “Look at God.” That familiar expression carried more than gratitude for a good outcome. It named the way she could recognize God’s presence in the people and moments that helped her through. It also connected us across our different backgrounds. The phrase is familiar to me from my Bahamian heritage and hearing it in Lady Dot’s home gave us a shared language of faith.
That visit reminded me that pastoral care is not a one-way act of giving. I came prepared to offer presence and encouragement. Lady Dot and her family offered both to me. I am learning to listen for the ways God is already at work in a person’s story and to receive the grace that comes through the people I serve.
This residency is still young, yet Covenant has already given me many reasons to be thankful. I look forward to growing with this congregation, learning alongside Pastor Jeff, and seeing where God leads us next.
[Learn more about CBF North Carolina’s Inaugural Field Education Residency Program here.]
