Our EZ2GET2.Church journey started with a vision from GOD. Back in 2022 through 2023, as a conference, we had been having discussions about the components of what makes a vision compelling in our meetings. We had been dissecting Proverbs 29:18, where it states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” There was a spirit of brutal honesty in the room as it pertained to the status quo amongst us and around us, as we noted that there had emerged within the ranks of pastors across the country a fatigue with gathering for meetings and not seeing any results from their gatherings.
To corroborate our observations, we consulted with data from the Barna Group, a renowned research organization that has been providing comprehensive statistics on U.S. churches for over four decades. The data confirmed the trends we were witnessing in our local congregations. While there were a few churches thriving with in-person worship, the majority since the COVID-19 pandemic had become fragmented by the shift towards online worship.
Furthermore, economic factors played a significant role in the migration of our predominantly African American congregations. Many younger individuals have been relocating further away from the immediate Bay Area in search of more affordable housing. This trend mirrors the reverse migration that occurred in the 1940s when African Americans left the South and migrated to California and highly urbanized centers like New York and Chicago.
Considering all these trends and their intricate layers, it is evident that COVID-19 marked the precipice of the accelerated decline of in-person worshippers. This decline is further compounded by Barna research, which reveals that San Francisco and its surrounding regions have consistently ranked first in the United States for over two decades in two critical categories:
– Most unchurched (#1)
– De-churched people (#1)
– Never churched (#6)
De-churched, a new category not captured in the data over 20 years ago, offered insight into individuals who had once been part of a congregation but had left for reasons unknown. This sobering revelation provided the motivation we needed to actively seek God for a vision that addressed our concerns. While we understood the possibility of never experiencing in-person worship gatherings in the same way as before, we also recognized an opportunity to do something new rather than repeating the same actions and expecting the same results.
After much consultation among ourselves, God revealed a vision of a 24/7 online ministry.
This vision aligned perfectly with the nine criteria we had identified as essential components of a great vision:
- It addressed the future.
- It stirred a desire to act, creating an irresistible “restraint effect.”
- It introduced a relevant issue.
- It challenged the existing status quo.
- It expressed something we valued or something of value.
- It inspired a mission and/or the visualization of a mission.
- It declared an ideal condition.
- It invited allies, donors, and “wave riders” who benefited from the vision through other means, industries, and causes.9. It aligned with scripture (a vision from God must include this ninth criterion).
The name EZ2GET2.Church was proposed by our Conference president, Ulis Redic, and was enthusiastically embraced by all the Conference pastors. On April 20, 2025, ten founding legacy churches launched the ministry:
– Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Richmond, CA, led by Pastor Ulis G. Redic
– Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, San Francisco, CA, Pastor Dwayne E. Fisher
– Walk By Faith Baptist Church, Vallejo, CA, Pastor Samuel Green
– Parchester First Baptist Church, Richmond, CA, Pastor Marcus Vanhook
– Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, Oakland, CA, Pastor Andre T. Green
– Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, Richmond, CA, Pastor Eric Morris
– The Gathering of Sacramento, Sacramento, CA, Pastor Clifford W. Cheathon
– Macedonia Baptist Church, Richmond, CA, Pastor Jesse Mason
– St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church, Richmond, CA, Pastor Charles Stewart
– North Richmond Missionary Baptist Church, Richmond, CA, Pastor Dana Keith Mitchell
