105-year-old church takes first missions trip

It took nearly 105 years for the congregation of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Pell City, to embark on a churchwide missions trip. 
   
The 25 members of the church, who participated in the trip to Gardiner, Mont., however, say they won’t let that much time pass before the next one. 
   
“A completely positive experience” is how Pam Smith, wife of trip coordinator Mike Smith, described her first missions trip experience. 
   
Smith said working alongside and observing missionaries Larry and Diana Beavers was the most inspirational part of their trip. “The servant attitude of these two missionaries and their ‘whatever it takes’ mind-set was beautiful to see,” she said. “People in the town know that if there’s any kind of need any time of day, Larry is the one to call.”
   
Retiree Wallace Alldredge agreed with Smith, “The highlight of my trip was seeing the devotion and personal sacrifice of Larry Beavers and his wife.” This was Alldredge’s first missions trip as well. 
   
The Beaverses are North American Mission Board church planters. They have placed themselves strategically near Yellowstone National Park in an area with a constantly changing population. “People show up in Gardiner looking for a seasonal job at the national park — people of all nationalities,” Smith said. “They are often penniless and need a place to sleep and something to eat.”
   
To minister to the transients there, Gardiner Baptist Fellowship (GBF) serves meals and provides temporary housing at the church.
   
The Mount Pleasant volunteers built 12 sets of bunk beds, painted the church’s trim and doors and prepared lunch and dinner meals open to the community the week of May 28–June 5. They also hosted revival services, daytime Bible studies and Vacation Bible School while they were there. 
   
Three adults and three children made professions of faith during the week. “Seeing people saved — that’s ultimately why we were there. That was the real highlight,” Mount Pleasant pastor Mike King said. 
   
But King added that he truly enjoyed “meeting and sharing with people from a totally different lifestyle and getting to know the GBF family.” He is excited about how his church responded to this missions opportunity. King is in his seventh year with the small congregation, and the church has seen remarkable growth recently. His first Sunday saw seven members in attendance alongside his family of four. 
   
Today they are averaging 65–70, and many more signed on for the missions trip than they expected.
   
Mike Smith and King planned the Montana trip as a multi-generational experience, and the participants ranged in age from 8 years old to retirees, such as 57-year-old Alldredge. 
   
They are confident that allowing their children to experience a missions trip themselves will cause them to better understand and support their parents when they participate in future missions ventures. 
   
The Smiths took along their 10- and 14-year-old sons, while King brought his 8- and 14-year-old daughters.
   
“It is important for all ages of church members to see needs firsthand and see people serving those needs,” King said. “This trip has caused the entire church to realize we’re supposed to be active in the Great Commission.”
   
Mount Pleasant held a celebration service to share about the trip June 12. Mike Jackson, an associate in the office of evangelism with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, attended. 
   
The church plans to return to Montana again next summer. King, the church’s volunteer missions coordinator, has a senior adult missions trip to Mobile planned for September.