Daniel Edmonds said he remembers with clarity one of the last conversations he had with a cousin who died of cancer 30 years ago. In the years leading up to his passing, Edmonds’ cousin had used his Sunday School class as a place to bring people in and make disciples.
“I told him … what he did with his turning his Sunday School class into an outreach was really a model,” Edmonds said. “He talked to me about it and said, ‘I may be doing everything wrong,’ and I told him, ‘You may be the only person I know who’s doing it right.’”
About a month later, in June 1996, Edmonds was named the new associate in the office of Sunday School at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, and he carried that model with him. Five years later, he became the office director.
And as the years went on, his office’s methodology changed as he worked to hone the model that most closely mimicked what Jesus did in Scripture. It started with training church leaders through conferences, then moved to video, digital and one-on-one consultations.
Disciple-making
And in 2010, the office’s name changed to include discipleship too.
“I began to work and pray about how do you make a disciple-making movement as a state missionary? The more I prayed about it, the more I was convinced that disciple-making movements that start in a local church are led by pastors,” Edmonds said.
So he began to reach out to pastors that he heard were making disciples well in their own churches and communities. They came together and created a discipleship network, forming “huddles” and discipling other pastors. That spread, and from there a disciple-making movement started.
“The disciple-making movement is one of the things I’ll cherish most … equipping and meeting the needs of churches and getting back to doing what God called us specifically to do,” Edmonds said.
‘Follow me’
Along the way, he wrote a book called “Start Small. Do It Right. Build It Strong.” In its pages, he leads people down a path anchored by four invitations from Jesus — come and see, be with Me, follow Me and abide in Me.
“Those things that Jesus began to do and teach, like Luke writes in Acts 1:1 — that’s really the heart of disciple making,” Edmonds said. “It’s not ‘sit down and be still while I instill;’ it’s ‘follow me.’”
Rick Lance, SBOM executive director, said he has had a “deep admiration” for Edmonds through the years.
‘Cause of Christ’
“I have been impressed by his dedication to the cause of Christ. I have been encouraged by his ministry among us in the areas of small groups and disciple-making,” Lance said. “Additionally Daniel possesses a quiet wisdom which has been an inspiration to me, especially in times of planning and decision-making. I have enjoyed our working relationship as we have labored together as partners in ministry. He is a dear friend and highly valued colleague.”
‘An honor to serve’
Edmonds said it’s “been an honor to serve Alabama Baptists.” In the days since his Aug. 31 retirement, he sees himself “in the same place I’ve seen myself for the entirety of my ministry — next year I’ll be pursuing God’s call on my life … that’s what I’ve always done.”
He said he’s blessed because of his time at the SBOM.
“To be able to go somewhere, do what God calls you to and do what you love for 30 years, and with absolutely great people … it’s just an overwhelming blessing.”
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