Editor's Note: This is the first of a three part profile of Chris Spence of FBC Newton. The last sentence of this article was accidentally cut off in the print version of our March 27 issue. We apologize for the error.
In August of 2023, Bro. Chris Spence was called to become the 32nd pastor at First Baptist Church Newton. The outgoing Spence, who hails from Lake, is no stranger to his new mission field, having spent some time growing up in Newton in his youth. With a deep passion to serve God’s children and his community, he’s quick to let you know just how amazed he is at how the Lord has led him to FBC Newton. But what’s even more amazing is his personal struggles that he’s overcome to reach his calling. It’s simply a true testament to God’s power and love.
Church Baby
Spence was raised jointly by several members of his family after losing his mother as a baby. Between living with his grandparents, David Joe and Diane Usry, his father and stepmother, Mark and Trisha Spence, and his Aunt Patricia and Uncle Harmon Crosby, Spence said his family raised him right.
“My family always saw to it that I was taken care of, that I was spoiled, that all my needs were met, and that I was in church every Sunday,” he said.
His grandparents, Aunt Patricia, and Uncle Harmon raised Spence in Lake, where Spence also went to school, while his father lived over in Newton County.
“My dad was from Newton, so I’ve always had a tie to Newton,” he said. “Newton was like a second home,” said Spence.
Spence and his family attended First Baptist Church Lake, where he was known as the ‘church baby’. Fourteen years later, the 'church baby' would seek advice from his pastor about his calling.
It was the year 2007 when Spence said he started getting the call to ministry as he attended Centrifuge Camp at fifteen years old. He went to his pastor at the time, Ken McLemore, and told him about God talking to him and what he was asking him to do.
“He told me if the Lord is calling you to ministry, you need to serve,” Spence said. “You can start by responding to an invitation or however you see fit.”
During the invitation on that next Sunday, Spence said he got scared and didn’t walk down the aisle. It was at this point, according to Spence, that he began running from his calling.
Further from the Lord, Closer to Sin
During this time of his life, Spence had a friend whose father was a pastor. Spence started telling his grandparents that he was going to his friend’s church when he really wasn’t. According to Spence, things progressed from this point.
“The further you get from the Lord, the closer that you get to sin,” he said.
He began experimenting with drugs during his junior year of high school and his grades started to slip, although he was able to hide it from his family. It progressed so much that by the time he graduated from Lake in 2009, he was in a full state of addiction.
After two semesters at East Central Community College, Spence dropped out.
“I just fell into that life of addiction,” Spence said. “I continued down that path and got further and further away from that calling. My mental health at that time was very poor.”
Spence began questioning the value of his life and how the Lord was going to use him at this time. Little did he know that the Lord had big plans for him, and his life was about to change for the better.
