The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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  • Enid’s Marshall Billingslea is pastor of Anew Church in Enid. (Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON)

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April 24, 2010

Meeting needs in non-traditional way

Billingslea’s mission is reaching out

By Bridget Nash Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID — Enid’s Marshall Billingslea has made helping people his life’s work.

Billingslea, pastor of Anew Church in Enid, once was a leader in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program with Salvation Army.

“We really do a lot of that here (at the church),” said Billingslea, adding about 25 percent of those who attend Anew Church are recovering addicts or ex-convicts.

“A lot of different programs will teach to search for a higher power. Our focus is obviously on Jesus,” said Billingslea. “I think people by nature are limited. We’re human beings. We’re mortal. But God is unlimited. He can reach us wherever we’re at, whatever we’re going through.”

As pastor, Billingslea said he sees his mission as reaching out to Enid residents who are not having their spiritual needs met elsewhere.

“This church is kind of a combination of a rock concert and a movie theater,” said Billingslea. “We’re what we call a seeker-friendly church.”

Billingslea’s goal of reaching the community by holding non-traditional church services has proven successful.

He said in the past three years more than 300 individuals accepted Christ and in the last year 62 were baptized.

Similar to his past work in drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation, Billingslea said Anew Church has programs to help people with addictions and other problems.

“I absolutely believe in accountability for people who struggle with anything,” said Billingslea. “We have what’s called life groups. A lot of churches do that. Our life groups are small support groups. These are where people can come for accountability.”

Billingslea’s wife, Tasha, also has been making a life out of helping people and has worked for Youth and Family Services as well as the community intervention center.

Billingslea and his wife  have reached out to children in need and in three years they were foster parents for 12 children.

“We adopted three kids from the state after being foster parents,” said Billingslea. “We adopted our three about five years ago.”

Being a foster parent isn’t always an easy job, and there is always a need for good foster parents, said Billingslea.

“It’s awesome work, but you really get really attached to the kids,” said Billingslea. “It’s hard to part ways with them.”

Now Billingslea, Tasha and their children, Korbin, Alex and Skyler, are serving the community through Anew Church, which has an attendance of about 200 and holds two worship services each Sunday to accommodate the crowd.

The church continues to reach out to individuals who feel out-of-place in a traditional church, he said.

“Just by seeing the need, we felt like there were a lot of people who miss out on the opportunity,” said Billingslea.

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