Gospel shared in black & white to reach Philly inner city

Posted on Apr 11, 2008
by Norm Miller

PHILADELPHIA (BP)--Keystone Fellowship Church in suburban Philadelphia celebrated its fourth birthday by planting Epiphany Fellowship Church amid some of the City of Brotherly Love's meanest streets.

Keystone was barely three years old in 2004 when it partnered with the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board to plant Epiphany.

"It was church planting suicide," said Eric Mase, lead pastor of Epiphany.

But that didn't matter to John Cope, Keystone's pastor. He had church planting in his blood. He knew all about it. Having begun in August 2000 with only six people -– the members of his family -- Keystone officially launched a year later with 300 people. And partnering with Cope to plant Keystone was First Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla. From this relationship Cope knew how indispensable Keystone would be to the fledgling Epiphany Fellowship. the rest/photo