Each Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, the Royal Ambassadors (RAs) of Alabama convene at Camp Grandview, a YMCA conference center about half a mile off Interstate 65 in Millbrook, a stone’s throw from Prattville.
Most folks in the area gauge spring’s arrival by the dogwoods and azaleas, but for Jay Taylor, RA director at Glynwood Baptist Church, Prattville, in Autauga Baptist Association, winter’s over when the scent of pinewood fills the air.
“We always do the pinewood (at the RA Congress),” he said.
March 17–18 marked Taylor’s ninth congress, but though the RA Racers pinewood derby ran full steam ahead, this year, he was struggling just to stay warm.
“This is the coldest it’s been,” he said. “We’ve been wet, we’ve been hot but this time, it’s just plain cold.”
While Taylor and more than 75 other adult volunteers kept their hands in their pockets in the damp 50-degree weather March 18, 300 RA LADs (first- through third-graders) and Crusaders (fourth- through sixth-graders) from 38 churches broke a sweat running in three-legged races, tossing hatchets and footballs, navigating an obstacle course, shooting pellet guns and bows and arrows and blowing darts.
They also conquered the popular climbing wall provided annually by First Baptist Church, Glencoe, in Etowah Baptist Association.
Taylor’s 9-year-old son Randall was one of them, and like most, he really liked the climbing wall.
His dad offered the perspective of not only an RA parent but also a leader and was quick to speak of the congress’ benefits.
“They learn more about God, about Jesus,” he said. “They’re spending time with other Christian kids; whereas if when they’re out playing baseball or soccer or something, they might be more negatively influenced, and it’s an opportunity for them to invite kids they know to come to church with them and to stay active.”
The younger Taylor has been an RA since he was 5 but has been coming to the congress with his dad for as long as he can remember.
Though Randall’s yet to perfect the hatchet toss, when asked what he likes most about the congress, he answers with a bull’s-eye: “Learning about Christ.”
RAs was established in 1908 with the purpose of imparting Baptist boys with a biblical appreciation for the missions field. Alabama has had a congress for at least 65 of the RAs’ 98-year history, according to Steve Stephens, RA consultant for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. This was the 15th year the event was held at Camp Grandview.
On the night of March 17, a group from the Alabama Campers on Mission delivered a presentation about its recent missions trips, as did the Southern Crusaders for Christ, the Prattville chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association.
That night’s program also featured a Peterbilt truck exhibit for the boys to climb through provided by Peterbilt of Montgomery.
In addition to the nearly 30 activities available come morning, the missions fair and missions bowl served as the RAs’ trademark emphasis on international missions.
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