Joel Gregory, former pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, headlined the Mainstream Alabama Baptists (MAB) meeting Nov. 19.
Held at Southside Baptist Church, Birmingham, where Steve Jones serves as pastor, the MAB meeting was the first of what will become a yearly event and included a worship service, exhibits, dinner and a business meeting.
About 240 people were present for the dinner, but several more arrived in time to hear Gregory, former professor of preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
Preaching from Matthew 13:44-46, Gregory offered candid insights into his life since First, Dallas, as he developed the theme “Unintended Consequences.”
“Our action and inactions in life bear for us unintended consequences- some good, some not,” he said. “During the last decade of my life, I’ve had plenty of time to ponder unintended consequences.”
Gregory resigned as pastor of First, Dallas, under senior pastor W.A. Criswell 10 years ago and began selling prepaid funeral plans. During the past decade, Gregory said he has rediscovered his roots as well as learned a few sessions.
“There is a difference between building the Kingdom and building a personal kingdom,” he stated. And there is a difference between “pastor as servant rather than pastor as ruler.
“The journey seems discouraging when we are going uphill, but it’s worth it,” Gregory said. “No one knows the future of any given denomination. Thankfully we know the future of the kingdom of God.”
During the business meeting new officers were elected and a 21-member board was approved.
Under the newly established board, members will serve three year terms. For the first three years, however, the terms will follow one two and three year limits n order to establish the rotation of seven members rotating off every year.
New MAB officers are: Gary Burton, president; Laura Hargrave, vice president; Elizabeth Deason, secretary; and Frances Jones, treasurer.
(TAB)
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