My father and I are standing in front of Greater Mt. Triumph Missionary Baptist Church in Atmore, Alabama, after my family reunion. This is one of the churches my grandfather pastored. My grandfather, Walter Bradley Sr., was the son of Simon Bradley, who came from the Bradley slave plantation not far from where this church stands. It was a remarkable day visiting the churches where my grandfather, whom I never met, served in ministry.
There is no way to determine exactly when Christianity entered my family’s story, but I do know this: faith in Christ has run through multiple successive generations of my family. This is the Reformed doctrine of covenant succession clearly on display.
According to Robert Rayburn, the doctrine of covenant succession is “that set of truths connected with the purpose of God that his saving grace run in the lines of generations.” I saw this with my own eyes at my family reunion. If you were to attend the Bradley family reunion, you’re going to meet several generations of church leaders and officers from pastors to deacons to women’s ministry leaders.
It’s a reminder that the primary means of the church’s growth and sustainability is not evangelism, but faith and practice within families.
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