Tuscaloosa-area churches tag-team for missions trip

Two Alabama Baptist congregations in neighboring associations recently proved that small numbers and a sluggish economy are no match for Christian unity.

“We felt like we might not be able to pull it off by ourselves,” said Mike Griffin of his church’s decision to tag-team the travel expenses and logistics of a missions trip to Michigan with another congregation. “That was the major reason.”

And after asking his old friend Gary Farley, director of missions for Pickens Baptist Association, to put out feelers for possible partners, Griffin, pastor of Grant’s Creek Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, in Tuscaloosa Baptist Association, didn’t have to wait long for takers.

Patrick Branch was also trying to balance his desire for missions with the reality of strapped budgets and resources. “We really don’t have the folks to do a full-fledged missions trip, so I didn’t even think about doing one,” said Branch, pastor of Mineral Springs Baptist Church, Reform, in Pickens Association

But when the opportunity arose to serve jointly with Grant’s Creek Baptist, Branch jumped.

“In an economy where so many people are not taking missions trips overseas, Michigan is a viable option,” he said. “(Griffin) wanted to go on a missions trip to Michigan to honor our [Alabama Baptist partnership] with them but he didn’t have a lot of folks either.”

Grant’s Creek Baptist averages 140 on Sunday mornings. Mineral Springs Baptist averages 100.

“Some of your smaller churches don’t have … the number of people to do a missions trip,” Farley said. “But when you put churches together you can come up with [them].”

In July, a team of 35 members from both churches assisted two Baptist churches in inner-city Lansing with construction projects and Vacation Bible School.

“We had 49 salvations, which is really, really good,” Branch said.

Griffin agreed.

“I tell you it was just a God thing, as far as we were concerned,” he said. “We never could have done it without partnering with Mineral Springs. It was just a tremendous blessing to work with another church.”