By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware | Word In Black
(WIB) – When Rev. Dr. Terry Thornton conceived the concept for his doctoral dissertation, “A Discovery of a Pastoral Leadership Succession Plan and Its Benefits for Sweet Hope Free Will Baptist Church,” he had no idea his work would not only pave the path for his own ultimate retirement, but also open the door for an unexpected merger.
Neither did he suspect that when Bishop Marilyn E. Bostic asked him to train a young Paulette Bostic for ministry, licensing, and ordination, that he would one day pastor alongside this daughter in ministry. But this is where God has brought them as of January 1, 2025.
Paulette Bostic has been equally surprised at where they’ve landed.
”Merger hadn’t even been a thought. We were just blessed to be able to utilize the space at Sweet Hope after transitioning from our Essex location,” Paulette Bostic says, adding an equal surprise.
”God has actually led us back to Sweet Hope, which was the place where my mother began her ministry and where I grew up. Hence, it’s home.”
And no matter what popular thought is of how church people can or can’t get along, they have found their path to and through merger, much smoother than expected
Just as every other church experienced some types of challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, these two did likewise, and they found artful ways to help each other during that time, and as they began to share space worship and study time together, it seemed clear that they were somehow destined to go forth in worship together.
Steps Toward Merger
Thornton became pastor of the 89-year-old Sweet Hope in 2002 and had ministered without too much of a challenge until the dreaded pandemic. Like every other ministry, the pandemic presented one of the toughest times to keep everyone together.
“It was tough to keep everybody together, keep us sustained, keep everything that we have sustained. I just wanted to make sure we were still a thriving ministry. We went virtual like everyone, which we hadn’t done before,” Thornton says.
He said they began to receive support from their new virtual partners, much needed, but unexpected.
“And we made special attempts to be available to the young people, focusing on telling the truth of the matter. It’s always about equity, justice, and understanding the word of God,” Thornton says. “I always encourage our people to make sure they study their word and know the word of God for themselves.”
It was during the pandemic that Bostic asked about using Sweet Hope’s space, which worked out since Sweet Hope’s services began later.
Her church started with a service at 9:30, and Sweet Hope members began to join in and stay for their own service at 11:30. By April, they had worked on a heart health project, Engage With Heart, in collaboration with a few other churches. The next thing was a joint youth ministry. And this went on for the next two years, including all the special days like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
In October 2024, Bostic first suggested a merger.
Their movement had been so organic that it just seemed like the natural next step.
”We were already integrated with the different ministries and services that we were partnering with, and so forth. And so we told on congregations that together, we told our congregations at separate times on the same day, so that everybody would have the same information at the same time that we were merging. And from there, we just started going forward. January 5 was our first merged Sunday.”
Going Forward
“In March 2026, Sweet Hope will turn 90 years old, and in November, Bostic will be installed as senior pastor. Then I will retire in May 2027,” Thornton says.
One of the things Thornton says they all had to learn was putting their egos aside, since they knew it was the best thing for the church.
“That’s one of the things God said to me, ‘put your ego aside.’ You might look at me and say, you ain’t ready to retire. And no, I still have the energy. I do believe I still have the intelligence as well and the ability. I’m in good health,” he says. “And so at some point in time, I was going to be looking for someone to succeed me, but now I don’t have to.”
Thornton says some Baltimore churches “have not had a pastor in five years, seven years. It’s so unfortunate. And it’s because the preparation wasn’t in place. This is our preparation.”
Thornton says he can see Sweet Hope serving as a model for others.
As for Bostic, she says, “The merger has enhanced my vision for ministry because it is a larger traditional church that has merged with a contemporary, progressive ministry. Historically, the two churches have served two different demographics. The merger creates creative challenges, yet provides a greater platform for expanded ministry opportunities. It has been a true joy to return home and working with Pastor Thornton to serve the community in a new and fresh way.”