The light of [this church] may not shine as brightly now as it has in previous years … but we are still glad that our little light shines.”
So wrote Frank Posey, pastor of First Baptist Church, Fairfield, in Birmingham Baptist Association, in commemoration of the church’s 85th anniversary last year.
That sentiment holds true today, he said, even as the church prepares to disband Dec. 18.
Established in 1919, First, Fairfield, began with 35 members and grew quickly.
During its first three years, camraderie grew as 340 members joined the church under its first pastor, E.B. Gatlin.
By 1942, membership had increased to 1,300, climbing even higher into the late ’50s.
In the 1960s, changes came. Families began to move from the area and attendance began to fade. Membership continued to drop until a majority vote on Sept. 19 this year settled on disbanding.
As Posey penned, though, the little light will indeed continue to shine through The Baptist Foundation of Alabama (TBFA).
On the church’s last Sunday, the keys to the building will be given to the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries (ABCH).
ABCH will then sell the building and invest the funds with TBFA to help continue ABCH ministries.
Posey noted that many ABCH ministries are focused on children and youth. “(First, Fairfield’s) ministry will continue in perpetuity through young people,” he said. “We’re closing the building but not the church.”
According to him, the church’s members are planning to find church homes closer to their homes.
Randy Driggers, vice president for development for TBFA, noted that churches in transitional communities tend to go this route.
“Many churches in transitional neighborhoods conclude that the local community can be better reached for Christ by selling the church and having funds placed in The Baptist Foundation of Alabama,” he said.
It’s an issue that’s arising more and more often, Driggers said.
Younger families have moved to suburbia, and many times, an aging congregation has trouble ministering to a neighborhood that has experienced significant demographic changes. The different demographical groups might have trouble meshing.
Even though the church itself might not exist anymore, it can still have an impact, he said.
“TBFA manages the funds and pays the earnings to whatever ministry the church has named,” Driggers explained.
“A recent example is Ensley Baptist Church. When the property was sold, the church gave several direct gifts and placed about three-fourths of the funds in an endowment that will continue to minister in the church’s name until the Lord returns,” Driggers said.
“The funds were split among several Alabama Baptist ministries. In essence, the church is providing ongoing support for vital Baptist ministries even though the physical church is no longer in existence.”
During its heyday, First, Fairfield, gave more than half of its budget to missions.
The church sponsored a radio broadcast as well as several missions that grew into churches.
Two missionaries were supported by members of First, Fairfield for three years, and a camp was purchased for church use.
Posey, 75, will retire at the end of the year after 15 years as pastor.
A graduate of Howard College (now Samford University) in Birmingham and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Posey said he feels good about the place where he will close out his 54 years of ministry.
“There are few churches that have the family attitude this one has,” Posey said. “You can feel it when you walk in. There’s a lot of love and compassion here. There’s a lot of camraderie.”
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