From the race track at home in Talladega to construction sites in South America, the people of Coosa River Baptist Association have spent the last 175 years in productive and relevant missions and ministry.
To celebrate Coosa River Association’s past and to welcome its future, messengers from 31 churches gathered for the association’s annual meeting Oct. 16 at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center in Talladega. Having started in 1833 at Alpine Baptist Church with a membership of five churches, Coosa River Association is now comprised of 67 churches spanning several counties.
At the meeting, Luther Williams, who retired as the association’s director of missions, passed a ceremonial gavel of ministry to Randy Hagan, the new director of missions. Williams announced his retirement at the association’s annual meeting last year, and has been mentoring Hagan, who assumed the post in August.
In his farewell address, Williams challenged messengers to remember and celebrate Coosa River’s rich history without living in the past.
“The God of history is never finished,” Williams said, preaching from the book of Joshua. “The God of history is always with us, and the God of history is the same God who works through us to give us the victory for His glory.”
Williams noted a number of accomplishments and current endeavors of the association — some organized by its churches and supported by the association, others organized by the association.
A few he mentioned include pastoral scholarships; prison ministry; work with the hearing and visually impaired in Talladega; Raceway Ministries at Talladega Superspeedway; disaster relief; Hispanic ministry of Mignon Baptist Church, Sylacauga; continuing education courses through its Samford University extension site; Carpenters for Christ missions trips; international missions ventures to Africa, Central America and South America; pioneer missions work with Ligonier Baptist Chapel, Ligonier, Penn.; and a new church partnership in Penn Yan, N.Y.
Following the meeting and anniversary celebration, the association hosted a reception for Williams, who served as Coosa River’s director of missions for 12 years after leaving the missions field in Brazil.
Hagan, who spent 34 years in the pastorate — most recently at First Baptist Church, Weaver, in Calhoun Baptist Association — is looking forward to continuing Williams’ emphasis on missions, ministry and pastoral support.
Hagan believes changes are happening in American culture that will provide new ministry opportunities.
“I want to be a valuable asset to our pastors, staff, the local church and the community as a whole,” Hagan said. “I want the world around us to know they can count on us to be who we say we are and do what we say we’ll do as we live the life of Christ and take opportunities as they come up.”
Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, delivered the keynote address for the anniversary celebration. Lonette Berg, executive director of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, presented a framed certificate to recognize the association’s longevity.
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