Mount View Baptist Church, Trinity
Muscle Shoals Baptist Association
Favorite Verses: Psalm 23
Favorite Hymn: “Amazing Grace”
Hobbies: Reading, sewing and gardening
Family Status: Widow for 23 years after 49 years of marriage to husband, Marcus; daughters, Carolyn Anderson and Janice King; son, Dennis Carroll; five grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, six great-great-grandchildren
Eighty-eight-year-old Ruth Carroll, of Chalybeate Springs, has been on a mission for 58 years. Since 1957 she has been active in missions, serving at church in the Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) and all its ministries (GAs, Acteens, etc.). In addition she was WMU director in her church, association and district and a WMU executive board member, and held a state leadership role with Acteens. For eight years she was a member of a lay renewal team for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. She has been on missions trips to Georgia and Pennsylvania and spent last summer making about 200 clothing items to be sent to Nicaragua. Carroll has taught every age group in Sunday School, sung in the choir, worked in adult and childrens’ Vacation Bible Schools and served on nominating committees. She currently is Women on Mission director and Sunday School director for Muscle Shoals Baptist Association. Her life goal is to serve the Lord and be pleasing to Him.
Q: What influences in your life pointed you to Christ at the beginning of your faith journey?
A: I had Christian parents. They always carried me to church. When I was 12 years old I accepted Christ and I’ve never been sorry.
Q: When and how were you led into your ministry work?
A: When we joined Chalybeate Springs Baptist Church, I had never been in any ministry organizations. They had WMU; they had Mission Friends and GAs. They invited me to join WMU. That was 58 years ago.
Q: What does your ministry work demand?
A: I participated in whatever the organization I worked with was doing. I always tried to be trained in what I was doing.
Q: What do you get from your ministry work?
A: Satisfaction and blessings from the Lord.
Q: How do family members support you?
A: Carolyn and her husband back me in everything and go with me. When they can’t do it, one of the other children will do it. Members of the church help me get to where I need to be. I have had a lot of backing from my church friends and family. I just enjoy every bit of it. I just thank the Lord for every one of them. I have had a lot of support. A lot of prayer has been prayed for me.
Q: How do you see yourself involved in this in the future?
A: I see myself doing whatever comes handy for me to do that I am able to do. Whatever the Lord leads me into, that’s what I plan to do.
Q: What difference will this ministry work make for you in the future?
A: I think as long as the Lord leads me to do something, I’m going to be blessed. If I can be a blessing to someone else, the Lord will bless me. I see whatever I can do in the future as serving the Lord.
Q: What difference has Jesus Christ made in your life?
A: Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. I cannot begin to tell you. He has carried me through so much in my lifetime. When it seemed there was no way to get by, He always made a way.
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