I don’t know if this is the column one looks forward to writing or the column one fears writing. Either way it is my last submission as editor of The Alabama Baptist. My retirement from state Baptist papers officially begins Jan. 1, 2019. I will have completed 23 years and five months as editor of The Alabama Baptist and 50 years, four months and 11 days of ministry through state Baptist papers.
Before returning to my home state in 1995 to assume this editorship, I was privileged to serve as editor of the Missouri Baptist state paper Word & Way for 20 years and one week. Prior to that I served as associate editor of Western Recorder, the Kentucky Baptist state paper, twice serving extended periods as acting editor.
My first church ministry position was worship leader in a church plant my junior year of high school in Michigan. That was in 1959, a few years after our family migrated from an Alabama cotton farm to the Midwest factories. With the exception of my freshman year in college, I have been in a church ministry position or serving Baptists through state Baptist papers every year since.
Important anniversaries
During the past year The Alabama Baptist celebrated two important anniversaries. In February we celebrated the 175th anniversary of the founding of The Alabama Baptist. Judson College hosted a great birthday party for the ministry. That was followed by an equally successful symposium sponsored by Samford University and the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission examining the contributions of this ministry to Baptist life in Alabama and beyond.
On Dec. 12 another important anniversary occurred. That is the 100-year anniversary of the decision by the executive board of the Alabama Baptist State Convention to purchase the paper from private ownership and make the ministry an entity of the Alabama Baptist State Convention.
According to executive board minutes, W.F. Yarborough, secretary-treasurer of the convention, announced he had purchased the paper “for the Baptists” and the executive board voted to accept Yarborough’s offer to sell the paper to the convention for the price he paid — $3,000.
During the 100 years of being a convention entity, four people have served as editor. L.L. Gwaltney served for 31 years retiring in 1950. He was followed by Leon Macon who died in office after serving almost 16 years. Hudson Baggett served for 28 years before his untimely death in 1994. And I have served as editor for the past 23 years.
The two anniversaries, together with my own anniversary of 50 years in state Baptist papers, created the optimal opportunity to step aside and let someone else lead The Alabama Baptist into its 176th year of ministry and its second century of service as an entity of the Alabama Baptist State Convention.
One of the highest privileges of my life has been to be a part of the ministry of this illustrious publication. Each of my three predecessors was noted as the most influential Baptists of their respective eras by historian Wayne Flynt. My ministry has been to continue the heritage and influence these men earned for the paper.
The Baptists of this state believe in the ministry of The Alabama Baptist and accept the state Baptist paper as a ministry partner. More than 2,000 churches still provide the state Baptist paper to some or all of their active resident families through the church budget. Sixty-five of Alabama’s 75 associations use the paper as a communications tool for associational information. All state convention entities regularly report to Alabama Baptists through the state Baptist paper.
While other state papers have reduced the number of issues published or even abandoned print all together, The Alabama Baptist still publishes 50 times a year and is still the largest circulated state Baptist paper.
Thank you for the opportunity to be a ministry partner. It has been a privilege to be in every association, to preach in churches across the state and to serve as interim pastor on several occasions.
But Alabama Baptists are more than ministry partners. To me you have been a loving people. When my late wife, Eleanor, died from injuries in an accident in Durban, South Africa, Alabama Baptists cared for me in ways I could never have imagined. Your support for me lasted for years. Seldom do I go into a church even now without someone sharing how they prayed for me during those days. I will always be grateful that the Lord let me be among this group of believers during my darkest days.
And when the Lord brought Pat Hart into my life four years later, you shared my joy.
No ministry — and certainly no communications ministry — can be stronger than its overseers, its board of directors. After all, the board of directors sets the policies that allow the ministry to report, inspire, analyze, editorialize and more.
Alabama Baptists have elected men and women to the The Alabama Baptist Board of Directors from a variety of backgrounds. All have been committed to a strong state Baptist paper. Difficult questions have been asked and policies examined and re-examined. But the board always acted in near unanimity. I am grateful for their leadership and support.
To coworkers both present and past, I am indebted. They have helped me be a better editor and a better person. I hope I have helped them. All have been talented as attested to by the variety of names on the hundreds of awards won across the years. Together we produced a publication focused on the needs of Alabama Baptists and a publication that has been named by at least one national body as the best regional Christian newspaper in the nation 11 times in the past 20 years.
A state Baptist paper takes a team, and I have been fortunate to work with some of the best people in Baptist journalism. To each of them I publicly acknowledge my indebtedness and my appreciation.
New leadership
I cannot close without commending Editor-elect Jennifer Davis Rash to you. Her editorship will be different than mine just as my editorship was different from my predecessor. She is new leadership for a new century of service.
Jennifer is an award-winning journalist. She is a strong church person with a theological degree from Beeson Divinity School and service overseas with the International Mission Board. Jennifer is also a recognized leader among religious communicators and among Alabama Baptists.
Jan. 1, 2019, will be her 23rd anniversary with The Alabama Baptist so she is intimately acquainted with this ministry. I am sure you will pray for her and support her as she moves this ministry forward.
And pray for me. Pat and I will continue to make our home in Birmingham and continue to serve our risen Lord in whatever ways He provides. Thank you for allowing me to walk beside you these years. God bless.
Check out Bob Terry’s blog at nowconsiderthis.com.
Follow him on Twitter at @drbobterry.
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