CPC’s Director of Church Outreach, Bob Scott, interviews Pastor Buddy Slaughter, pastor of Means Ave. Baptist Church in Hopkinsville, KY.
Bob: Tell us a little about you. What led you to become a pastor?
Buddy: My name is Buddy Slaughter, Jr. and I serve as the Pastor of the Means Avenue Baptist Church in Hopkinsville, KY. I have served there as pastor for 14 years. I am a veteran of the United States Army. I have been preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ for 20 years. In 1993 I was invited to church by a friend of mine. At that time, I had not been to church in 6 years. I was baptized when I was in the third grade and was a faithful attendant of the church until the age of 17 when I went into the Army. But, as I heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ being proclaimed, I began to question my relationship with Jesus. I left church after that first Sunday and went to Kmart and bought a Bible for ten bucks. I attended church on Wednesdays and Sundays for one year solid and at the end of that year, I realized that I did not know Jesus. I went to the pastor/my pastor and told him that I believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for my sins and that I wanted to give my life to Him. He discipled me in Bible study, prayer, serving Christ and others, giving and how to build a relationship with Christ. God began to draw my heart to Him. I became a Deacon in that church, Cedar Grove Baptist Church. After a couple of years, I surrendered to the call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In 2006 God burdened my heart to pastor His people. I serve and have served as the Chaplain of the Hopkinsville Police Department for the past 10 years. It has been an invaluable asset to our community. Being a liaison for both the police and the people has certainly maintained peace during situations that would have certainly had a negative outcome without the office of the Chaplain being a transfer of information between officers and families affected by tragedy.
Bob: Tell us about your church. What are some of the exciting things happening there?
Buddy: Our church has a men’s and women’s and youth groups that meet monthly for discipleship and mentoring. We prepare meals and serve the individuals at the Salvation Army on a regular basis. We prepare meals and provide devotions, singing, celebrate birthdays, and share communion with residents of senior apartments on a regular basis. We have jail ministry for men and women. We have after school tutoring for all ages. We have Spanish classes for youth and adults. We have an evangelism class that is taught weekly. We have a bereavement outreach that ministers to families that are dealing with the death of a family member. We have a fellowship meal once a month at the church that is open to the community. This gives us an opportunity to eat and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as show hospitality to our community. We have purchased homes in our neighborhood and placed families in them that were struggling to provide for their families due to high rent in houses that were not properly managed. Our congregation is primarily African American with about 10 percent Caucasian, one Puerto Rican family, and four Hispanic Families. We have a Helping Hands Ministry that assists the elderly and low income with minor home repairs and building handicap ramps. We have one well dug annually in Africa to provide potable water. We collect outdated Sunday books, Daily Bread, Bibles, and Christian literature for Love Packages, which is a ministry that distributes those items to missionaries in the field overseas. We try to send members on a foreign mission trip every two years.
Bob: How do you see the church’s role in our current culture?
Buddy: The Church’s role in our community is to reveal Christ to the lost and broken. The only way that can be done is through involvement, interaction with the residents. We must be intentional and deliberate in our involvement in the lives of our community.
Bob: How has CPC benefited you and your congregation?
Buddy: The CPC greatly benefits our church by bringing to our attention issues that arise that impact churches in Kentucky negatively or positively. This gives us an opportunity to not only pray about but also reveals our responsibility as believers to be aware and proactive about issues that affect the body of Christ.
Additional Information:
Church Address: 143 Means Avenue, Hopkinsville, KY 42240
Church Email: means.avenue@yahoo.com
Office Phone: (270) 885-2088
Facebook page: Means Avenue