First person: Word of appreciation, note of gratitude for Rick Lance

It’s the milestone moments during a leader’s tenure that help define the ultimate legacy. While there’s a thread of routine experiences that connects all those moments, it’s the heightened segments that clearly display our foundational characteristics and leadership style.

In upcoming editions of The Alabama Baptist, our team — with assistance from the communications team at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions — will showcase glimpses of those moments for Dr. Rick Lance.

Dr. Lance has served as executive director of SBOM for more than 28 years and understands the inner workings of Alabama Baptists better than any among us. He retires Jan. 31.

Ways to connect with him

Everyone who can make it to the upcoming state convention annual meeting will have an opportunity to thank him for his service. He and his wife, Pam, are being honored with a reception following the Tuesday (Nov. 17) afternoon session.

You also can send him messages through his email at rlance@alsbom.org or write him at P.O. Box 681970, Prattville, AL 36068. I’m confident it will mean a lot to him to hear from you.

As I’ve been thinking about how to share a note of gratitude, I decided to use the acrostic I presented during Baldwin Baptist Association’s September event honoring Dr. Lance.

D — Difference maker, across the board.

R — Risk mitigator. Will we ever know how many hours Dr. Lance has spent thinking through, thinking around and thinking with others about various situations?

L — Leader among leaders, at all the levels. Think pastors, associational missionaries, state missionaries, national and international missionaries, fellow state entity heads, national entity heads, seminary presidents and especially his peer group across the nation, state convention executive directors. He is a leader among leaders. He has been and he continues to be.

A — Alabama Baptist to the core.

N — Nonnegotiable faith in Christ, 100% solid.

C — Cooperative Program champion.

E — Excels in encouragement.

Dr. Lance, you likely will never know how many lives you’ve touched and how many people you’ve encouraged.

You’ve mentored, cheered for, grieved with, nurtured, celebrated with, challenged when needed and strived for the greater good — even if we didn’t always agree.

Invested at all levels

You’ve done all the things that a loving father would do to lead and serve those entrusted to his care.

Thank you for investing so fully and completely in all of us as individuals, as church congregations and as ministry partners.

You have shepherded Alabama Baptists well.