The BEGINNING:

Commonwealth City Church is a Southern Baptist church plant that began in Lexington in the fall of 2013.  Beginning as a house church, its conception was a small core group that began praying and entrusting Jesus to create lasting family; namely, the gathering of a people of His possession in this city, for this city, and from this city - offering Him praise and glory! The Lord provided needed wisdom, leadership, and resourcing in  Hope Community Church from Frankfort, KY, to serve as its sponsor/mother church.  From here Commonwealth got her start.

THE MIDDLE:

Soon after they starting meeting, Southside Baptist Church, under the leadership of its faithful pastor, Harold Garrison, offered for Commonwealth meet in their building on Sunday Evenings.  This served as a much needed opportunity to begin gathering and worshiping in a more traditional sense; no longer in a living room, but now with corporate worship and teaching as a congregation.  In some ways this served as a preview of things to come.  While Commonwealth City Church now had a place to meet, God had not yet shown them the community they were to reach or the relationships they were to engage.  A core value of the church, shared and developed even then, was not to be only a church service, but to make disciples that make disciples and function as the Church, on mission, within the world in which we live.  


By the fall of 2014, Southside Baptist Church was going through a relocation.  The Lord would use this as an opportunity to showcase the mission He had in store for Commonwealth City Church.  


Present day:

It's not the end, it's never the end of our story, but to catch up to present day - the move from Southside Baptist afforded Commonwealth a new opportunity.  


David Stokes, the Executive Director of the Central Kentucky Network of Baptists had a vision to see a church planted in replacement of a ministry center that had long been operated by the CKNB.   Upon partnering with him and the CKNB, the Irishtown Baptist Ministries Center, located off on Manchester St. in downtown Lexington, was to become the new place of ministry and first permanent home of Commonwealth City Church. 


On Easter, April 5th, of  2015, the first service of Commonwealth City Church - Irishtown, was launched.  Since then, Commonwealth has begun to missionally engage and impact the surrounding community and neighborhood of an often overlooked nook of our city.  Almost every day, life and ministry are taking place at the new location of 245 Perry St., including the weekly gathering, tutoring, fellowship nights for students and children, and free meals for any and all that would come.  


It is from here that the current life, ministry, and community of Commonwealth City Church exists. 


Beginning June 11th, we are doing a little transitioning.  While we are still doing ministry in and among the neighborhood of Irishtown, we have changed up our Sunday morning worship venue.  


We are now meeting at the UK BCM building on the campus of the University of Kentucky.  This opportunity not only provides us with an avenue to reach UK students, but also to grow and continue to live out the Gospel.