The North American Mission Board (NAMB) has asked two longtime Alabama Baptist leaders to serve as its ambassadors to the state.
Veteran Alabama pastor Dusty McLemore will serve as NAMB’s ambassador to the state’s pastors. Hugh Richardson will serve in a similar role relating to associational directors of missions.
McLemore has served as pastor of Lindsay Lane Baptist Church, Athens, for the past 23 years and will continue to do so in this new role.
As NAMB’s ambassador to Alabama Baptist pastors, McLemore will connect with the state’s pastors and thank them for their church’s giving through the Cooperative Program and to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. He also will be a resource person for Alabama Baptists with questions about North American missions.
Great opportunities
“I’m going to be encouraging our pastors to get more involved in church planting, not just internationally but right here locally through NAMB,” McLemore said. “These Send Cities are a great opportunity for us to be missionaries right here in our own backyard. I like that direction of trying to reach these Send Cities and getting new churches started there. The Annie Armstrong offering helps to support that — along with the Cooperative Program. I’m going to challenge our pastors … to really put those on the forefront of our giving so we can really support this work.”
McLemore said Lindsay Lane Baptist has people on mission all the time. The church has adopted an Acts 1:8 approach, focusing simultaneously on local, statewide, North American and international missions (correlating to Jesus’ command to go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the “uttermost parts” of the world).
“We’re commissioning someone all the time to go out,” McLemore said. “We’re really focused on doing the work outside of the church — not just inward. We want our people to get involved in missions. Support it with resources, yes, but also get involved.” He said the church hosts an annual Global Impact Conference to encourage missionary partnerships.
McLemore said he is excited to serve in this new role with NAMB and looks forward to encouraging Alabama pastors to engage in North American missions.
“I really like the direction we’re headed at NAMB and IMB (International Mission Board),” McLemore said. “I just want to be a part of it.”
Richardson has served for the past 10 years as the director of missions for Shelby Baptist Association. Prior to this he served for 26 years as a pastor in four churches, including two Alabama Baptist congregations.
Richardson said he was interested in serving in this role because he believes there has been a weakening of ties in recent years between NAMB and local associations. He is encouraged by NAMB leadership’s commitment to rebuild its relationship with directors of missions.
‘We’re partners’
“I’d like to see us work cooperatively,” Richardson said. “There seems to be, in some places, some distrust toward the North American Mission Board. What are they doing? Where are they going? What’s the plan? We want to rebuild trust and say we’re partners. We’re working together.”
NAMB is establishing its state ambassador initiative in order to better communicate with pastors and directors of missions.
Kevin Ezell, NAMB president, said, “We want to be sure pastors receive a personal contact from us expressing our appreciation for all they do to support missions. We also want to be able to tell them all of the ways we can come alongside their church and help them have a greater impact locally and throughout North America.” (NAMB)
For more information about how you can get your church involved in North American missions, contact McLemore at dusty@lindsaylane.org or call 252-232-0020. For directors of missions looking to get more information, contact Richardson at hugh@shelbybaptist.org.
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