Published on September 3, 2025 by Neal Embry  
BerneyPointsCTK

The centennial service for Berney Points Baptist Church on Aug. 11, held at Christ the King (CTK) Anglican Church, was a living testament to the faithfulness of God and the impact of the interdenominational commitment of Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School.

Since 2018, Berney Points, a historic Southern Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, has worshiped and held services in a smaller space at their longtime church building, which they sold in 2018 to CTK. Both churches are pastored by Beeson alumni, and CTK was founded in 2007 by Lyle Dorsett, longtime professor at the seminary.

These two churches sharing a building and sharing life together came about the only way it could—by the providence of God.

Michael Novotny, MDiv ’13, rector at CTK, said the congregation began praying in 2017 for God to provide a church facility or land to purchase near Samford. At that time, the church was still meeting in Beeson’s Hodges Chapel, as it had since its founding, a gracious allowance by Timothy George, Beeson’s founding dean and a frequent visitor of CTK.

A few months after the church began praying, Novotny noticed an older building that belonged to Berney Points Baptist Church, pastored by Anton Fourie, MDiv ’95, DMin ’98. The historic church originated in Birmingham’s West End neighborhood before moving south of the city.

The building had been a wonderful place for the church, Fourie said, but as the congregation grew smaller, the church sought to sell the property to be better positioned for the future.

Fourie and Novotny became connected, and when CTK bought the property, it began worshiping in their new home in November 2018. To keep Berney Points’ small congregation of mostly older women from having to find a new place to worship, Novotny told Fourie they would always have access to the space and offered to let them stage services in the downstairs education building, named after the late husband of an active member.

“There are people who have been members of this church for 70 years,” Fourie said. “Some of our members are more than 90 years old. It was a tremendous blessing to these ladies.”

“It’s been a godsend for Christ the King,” Novotny said. “We have quite a few kids, and they love having the kids around. They’ve prayed for us every Sunday and we’ve prayed for them. We’ve been able to help them, and they’ve been able to help us.”

So, when plans were being made to celebrate Berney Points’ 100th anniversary, Novotny knew his congregation wanted to join in a special way. While Berney Points held a small celebration for just their members, Christ the King hosted their Baptist brothers and sisters for their centennial service on Aug. 11, singing Baptist hymns in an Anglican service.

Christ the King Anglican Church

“The folks loved it,” Fourie said. “They felt loved and cared for and appreciated and valued. It’s an affirmation of the faithfulness of God and that God has a plan.”

“It was such a joyous occasion,” Novotny said. “It was a joy being able to celebrate their faithfulness as a congregation that has existed in the city for 100 years. To have a huge potluck dinner after the service in Dorsett Hall, which is named after Lyle Dorsett, it was just a joy.”

Novotny and Fourie both spoke at the service, and were joined by George, who preached a sermon from Hebrews 11:8-16, “Abraham and the Journey of Faith.”

“That these two congregations, one Baptist and the other Anglican, so closely knit together in evangelical witness and spiritual friendship, can love, support and honor one another is a wonderful example of Christian unity and a great testimony to the wider community,” George said.

Novotny praised the spirit of partnership.

“When people ask me why I’m Anglican, I say it’s a good way to be a Christian,” he said. “I’m not a Baptist, and Anton’s not an Anglican. But we understand while we have convictions that are deeply rooted—and we don’t shy away from those—there is an ecumenism that is centered on the Gospel first. We can partner together, united in the Gospel.”

God’s blessing led them to be good stewards of their resources.

“It’s about the Gospel and legacy,” Fourie said. “It’s about these faithful ladies and gentlemen that have been members of this congregation for 60, 70 years and have sacrificed for the Gospel. It’s a little bit of a foretaste of going home and Jesus saying, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’”

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,324 students from 44 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford is widely recognized as having one of the most beautiful campuses in America, featuring rolling hills, meticulously maintained grounds and Georgian-Colonial architecture. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second-highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.