I am a longtime pastor in the Alabama Baptist State Convention. I am at Sardis Baptist Church in Boaz. I have been serving as a pastor for almost 40 years. I have watched and participated in missions and evangelism all through those years. As our churches give through the Cooperative Program, we help young students go [...]
Think a library conference is only for librarians? Think again. The North Alabama Conference for Church Librarians, scheduled for Nov. 4 at Central Baptist Church, Decatur, certainly will cover topics such as starting and maintaining a church library, cataloging a collection and taking care of old books. But this year’s conference will offer so much [...]
Approximately 25 percent of Florida’s population is Hispanic, which is why a Spanish-speaking chaplain working with Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief (ABDR) was a valuable member of one team serving in the state. “There are pockets of people (in Fort Myers, Florida) who speak little or no English,” said Cookie Baker, an Etowah Baptist ABDR volunteer [...]
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are making their way to Puerto Rico. They will be assisting local churches with whatever needs present themselves. The future plan is for the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief network to divide the island into regions and for various state conventions to work to take care of any needs that DR [...]
Last Sunday night, I had the opportunity to have some of our 26 seniors in my home for a time to pray over their final year of college. During the evening they were able to look through old scrapbooks and share stories recalling by name the former upperclassmen students who made an impact on their [...]
Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief (ABDR) volunteers helping residents in hurricane-ravaged Florida are finding many physical needs and great spiritual needs as well. “A lot of it is heartbreaking but some of it is joyous,” said Thelma Goolsby, an ABDR chaplain from Hepzibah Baptist Church, McCalla, in Pleasant Grove Baptist Association, who had several opportunities to [...]
As of today, Alabama Disaster Relief volunteers continue to serve in Florida, Texas, and St. Thomas USVI. Most of our teams are serving in the Fort Myers area. As of this evening, the plan is for our mass feeding kitchen to shut down after meals are prepared Wednesday. First Baptist Church, Trussville has provided a [...]
I met “M” while waiting for other students to arrive for a discipleship group. I was in the “Den,” short for Denny’s, on the UAB campus. While sitting at a table, a student approached me and asked what the small disc-like things were that the cashier had handed him. I explained that it was a [...]
Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief (ABDR) volunteers are serving meals, clearing trees and covering roofs as Florida continues to recover after Hurricane Irma. “Our effort is set up and running, and our teams are staying busy,” said Mark Wakefield, disaster relief strategist for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM). “Hundreds and hundreds of volunteer [...]
As Irma approached the Florida mainland, millions in the path of the storm were urged to evacuate. About 200 grateful Floridians took refuge at the Talladega Superspeedway where Alabama Baptists were ready to assist. “Thank you, Coosa River Baptist Association. I was at Talladega Speedway and although we had everything we needed, it was so [...]