New church opens on Campus

On Jan. 1, Christ The King Church officially opened as it held its first Sunday morning service in the Baptist Collegiate Ministries building beside the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts. The success of the launch was due in part to the months of preparation and work done by the core launch team and planting pastor Kirk Richeson. 

 Richeson has been a resident of Carrollton since he began his undergraduate studies at the University of West Georgia in the Fall of 2004. Shortly after marrying his wife in 2012 he began his Masters program at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned his degree in North American Church Planting. He also served on staff at Glenloch Baptist Church as associate pastor until the launch of Christ The King Church in January of 2017. 

 Christ The King Church started off nearly four years ago as a small bible study that met in the Richeson’s living room by the name of Gospel Community. As time passed the crowds grew in number forcing the study to move from a small living room to larger locations such as local art studios until the group began meeting in the BCM on campus last year. It was announced in the summer of 2016 that Gospel Community would change its name to Christ The King and launch as a church on campus at the beginning of 2017. 

 Reaching students on campus is important to many local churches and is also a very important goal of Christ The King Church. “We live in a college town, and while we are not a church just for college students we know that within city limits this is a larger portion of the population,” said Richeson. “For students that are coming to Carrollton from the outside we want to be here to disciple them, train them, and equip them to reach their dorms, apartments, and campus with the Gospel, before sending them out into the world to live as missionaries.”  

 Some of the goals that have been laid before the church include training others through Biblical teaching, planting other churches, serving the people in the local community, and displaying diversity through the fellowship of the congregation. By doing these things the hope is that the church will fulfill its mission statement,” We exist for the glory of God and for the good of others.” 

 Christ The King Church meets on Sunday mornings at 11 at 201 West Georgia Drive.