Alabama Baptists gather for ‘fruitful’ annual meeting

Every four years messengers to the Alabama Baptist State Convention have traveled to the milder clime of south Alabama to gather together with friends and colleagues to worship, fellowship and conduct business. 

This year the outside temperature dropped to record lows during the annual meeting Nov. 12–13, but inside Eastern Shore Baptist Church, Daphne, hearts were warmed by stories of what God is doing in Alabama Baptist life.

Led by the Voices of Mobile and other Alabama musicians, messengers and guests worshipped together in song and heard powerful messages on this year’s theme of “Fruitful” centered on John 15:5. 

Pastors from legacy churches joined pastors of recent church plants to celebrate what Rick Barnhart called miracles — new congregations of all sizes, cultures and styles in a variety of geographic locations.

‘Doing it right’

Alabama is the leading state in the nation in “doing it right” in church planting with a greater than 90% success rate, said Barnhart, director of the office of associational missions and church planting for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. 

But church planting is just one of the many facets of Alabama Baptist life celebrated in gratitude at this year’s annual meeting. 

See inside for reports on the meeting and more stories on church plants in the state. (TAB)