LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — It’s a special weekend for one local Lexington church.
Richard Gaines is one of the longest tenured pastors in the Commonwealth, and this weekend he will celebrate his 30th anniversary with Consolidated Baptist Church.
“I was about to join a church staff, First Baptist Church of Jeffersontown in the east end of Louisville, and I never thought that Consolidated would call me to be a pastor,” Gaines recalled. “It never settled into my mind, so when the call came that the church had voted to do just that, I was blown away."
That was 1996 and Gaines answered the call. Fresh in ministry after a successful career in marketing, he moved his family to Lexington and found a city – and a church – in the middle of change.
“The UK impact and the IBM impact with Lexmark as people were coming from other places into Lexington, and with that they were bringing their different cultures,” said Gaines.
Part of that change involved Gaines overseeing the building of a new facility in 2003. That allowed Consolidated to more than quadruple its church membership and play a bigger role in the community, including being a COVID vaccination location during the pandemic.
“I believe the mission of the church is to have impact, transformative change brought about by our presence," Gaines said. “I’d like to believe we’re not done yet. There’s much more to be done in this community, and we get to be a part of that.”
Gaines recently turned 68 years old. He said the attention to this professional milestone has allowed him to reflect on the impact he has had on his church and community.
“I want it be to said that he was faithful, that he never stopped caring about people, and that he knew it wasn’t about him but something greater,” Gaines said with a smile.
Consolidated is throwing a gala party for “Pops” Gaines Saturday evening before his son, Dr. Micah Gaines, delivers the sermon during Sunday’s service.
