Bigbee Association relocates, has new ‘identity’

For the first time in its history, Bigbee Baptist Association has an office building away from the University of West Alabama’s (UWA) campus in Livingston.

Up until about two years ago, the office of the director of missions and the Baptist campus minister of UWA was one and the same. Once the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions decided to separate the two positions, Bigbee Association began looking for new property.

After coming on board seven months ago, Director of Missions Larry Potts went to a real estate agent office to look at property; instead the agent offered to sell his building in downtown Livingston.

“It was a walk-in kind of deal,” Potts said. “I saw this as God’s hand. You see His hand throughout the process; it was one of those God things.”

So after purchasing the building in November 2009, the association moved in April 15 and held an open house and dedication May 23.

“(For) so many years, [the associational office] was a combination (with UWA’s campus ministry), and so many small churches didn’t have a concept of what the association could do,” Potts said. “I think having a building gives us a sense of identity with the churches. I hope it’s more conducive (for our churches) to visit the associational office.”