We’re Better Together
Church Discipleship Training in Plainwell, Michigan
Orangeville Baptist Church’s discipleship training is a collaborative effort to see 50 healthy churches in Michigan by 2050.
“I don’t think Orangeville can do it on its own,” says Andrew Manwarren, pastor of Orangeville Baptist Church in Plainwell, Michigan. “We’re better together.”
Andrew envisions a future where likeminded churches no longer compete, but collaborate to plant, strengthen, and revitalize churches.
Orangeville Baptist Church’s E4:12 training—“for the church, by the church”—brings together leaders, pastors, and teachers to “train, disciple, and develop leaders who will transform churches.”
But it almost never happened, because Andrew almost dropped out of Bible college.
From Left: Rebecca Abbott, Cameron DeCou, Chuck Dennany, Dante Pineau, Pastor Andrew Manwarren, Rose Robart, Charlie Bender, Katriel Hayden, and Karen Cook participate in the E4:12 training on Monday nights at Orangeville Baptist Church. Pastor Andrew Manwarren says, “The E4:12 training is by the church, for the church and aims to strengthen, start, and support 50 churches in Southwest Michigan by 2050.”
How It Almost Ended
Andrew spent most of his teen years trying to prove his pastor—who was also his dad—wrong.
“I thought the Bible was ridiculous. I didn’t believe any of it. I loved to argue with my dad. . . . I would regularly read the Bible just to show my dad how stupid it is.”
As he went about studying to destroy his dad’s faith, Andrew had an epiphany in—of all places—Genesis 3, where the serpent deceived Eve.
“And a ton of bricks hit me: Oh, he’s deceived me too,” Andrew says. “I knew I was wrong. I knew [the Bible] was true, and I believed it.”
Not long after that, he decided that he, too, wanted to be a pastor. He enrolled at what then was Baptist Bible College, where he learned about discipleship. But something bothered him.
“Something’s majorly wrong here. Why isn’t the church doing this?” Andrew says. “I almost dropped out of Bible college—it was that overwhelming to me.”
But, turning his frustration into determination to be a change agent, he stayed in school, and that passion would become the E4:12 training 20-some years later.
Cameron DeCou participates in E4:12 training at Orangeville Baptist Church on Monday nights. On Wednesdays, he leads a Bible study for third to fifth grade boys at nearby Hastings Baptist Church where he also sings and plays drums with the worship team.
The Handoff
Andrew took his first pastorate at Wayside Gospel Chapel in Pennsylvania, under Pastor Jack Jeffery, as associate pastor and then lead pastor. His second was at First Baptist Church in Newberry, Michigan, as the lead pastor.
Meanwhile, Pastor Dan Bowman had spent his entire pastoral career—since 1982—at Orangeville Baptist, and he was preparing for retirement.
“We didn’t want to leave the church in a lurch,” Dan says. So when Andrew was called as pastor at Orangeville, they made the transition. “My health was good, the church was stable. . . . It was a good recipe. I literally handed the baton to him.”
Dan and his wife, Sharon, still live across the street from the church and are actively involved wherever needed. After the handoff, Andrew completed an MDiv from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, led Orangeville’s ministry through the pandemic, and then got to work on E4:12.
Dante Pineau leads a Life Group at the home of one of the church members on Tuesday nights. “We think about Life Groups as more than just a typical Bible study,” Dante says. “It’s about doing life together as followers of Christ.” Dante is serving at Orangeville Baptist as a deacon, a small group leader, and prayer team coordinator. He has filled in at various churches to preach and one day hopes to be pastoring a church.
Next Level Discipleship
“I’ve always thought to be intentionally replicating, multiplying, developing leaders. This is the first time, though, here at Orangeville, where we’ve taken it to this level.”
E4:12 stands for Envisioning Everyone Equipped and Encouraged and is based on Ephesians 4:12, which instructs pastors “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
Every Monday night, men and women from Orangeville Baptist and other area churches gather at the Orangeville church for classes taught by Andrew and other ministry-seasoned teachers. The classes focus on discipleship, systematic theology, Bible study, Biblical counseling, and church revitalization. In addition to the coursework, students connect with a spiritual coach at their home churches.
“Theology has a way of giving people big heads, but it’s supposed to humble you,” Andrew says. “That coach is regularly checking in, observing character and their competency levels.”
Chuck Dennany was a longtime member of Orangeville, trusted Christ as Savior there, and recognized a hunger for ministry.
“There was no way to be trained,” Chuck says. “I couldn’t go to college. I had a family, had a business.”
So when E4:12 began, Chuck jumped right in. Today Chuck is the first graduate of E4:12, and in March he was installed as pastor of Jackson Baptist Church in Jackson, Michigan.
E4:12 “has made a big difference in my life, I’ll say that.”
From start to finish, the program is three years, but participants can choose one-, two-, or three-year tracks. The goal is for both men and women to be trained in—and then practice—discipleship wherever God leads. Two women, for example, are in the current class specifically to disciple their grandchildren.
Rebecca Abbott, left, and Katriel Hayden participate in an E4:12 training session.
Better Together
The training brings in leaders from churches around the region to produce disciple makers. For Andrew, church teamwork is a nonnegotiable.
“I’m sick and tired of churches that compete with each other,” Andrew says, explaining what could be possible if churches “just get over ourselves and celebrate God.”
To that end, Orangeville Baptist Church is spearheading a movement that envisions 50 healthy churches started or strengthened by 2050. With the E4:12 training, Andrew—from disbelief to discouragement to disciple making—believes it’s possible.
“It’s exciting. It’s incredible,” Andrew says. “Where’s the Lord going to take this? It’s way beyond me.”
Chuck Dennany, center, is hugged by a member of Jackson Baptist Church following his installation service on March 30. Chuck is the first graduate of the E4:12 CPR training at Orangeville Baptist. Chuck’s wife Penny, right, is serving with him.
