By Grace Thornton
The Alabama Baptist
Kevin Morrison says he’s not sure what made him ask God for a sign, but in 2017 he did — twice.
“I was comfortable at the church where I was, but I felt God leading us away from there,” he said. “And I said, ‘God, if you want me to leave, please show my wife too.’”
The next Sunday was Easter, and as they pulled into the parking lot, his wife looked at him and said, “This is between you and God, but I was just wondering — have you ever felt like God was calling you to go somewhere else?”
Morrison was floored.
“I started crying,” he said. “The following Sunday, I stood in front of the church and I told them that I felt God was leading me to go somewhere else.”
The deacons told him if a church called him to fill in, even if it was before his notice was up, he should follow God there.
“I had no idea where God was leading us,” he said. “But that Thursday I got a call from a church.”
That church — Bethabara Baptist, Northport, in Sipsey Baptist Association — asked if he could fill in the next Sunday. He did, and the next one too, and the next several after that.
“Once they got us there, they kept us,” he said. “And on the first Sunday in July, they were going to vote for us to stay and for me to become their pastor. I asked God for confirmation — to see a soul saved that morning. I don’t know why I did that.”
But when Morrison gave the invitation that day, a man came to the altar and gave his life to Jesus.
That same thing happened for the next 16 Sundays.
“For 17 Sundays in a row, we had somebody get saved,” Morrison said.
The church building holds about 300, but at that time they were running about 40 in attendance on Sundays.
“One of the guys at the church said, ‘I’ve never seen this happen, 17 weeks in a row where somebody was going forward and pouring out their heart to God at the altar,’” Morrison said.
In November 2017 they baptized all 17. Now they’re running 90 on Sunday mornings, and just recently on Sept. 23 they baptized six more.
“The church members are amazing — people are just answering the call,” Morrison said. “It’s awesome to see how different ministries have grown and how people have stepped up and are going out into the community. I give God the credit.”
‘On fire’
He said it’s exciting to go to church each week and see what God’s going to do.
Gary Bonner, associational missionary/director of missions for Sipsey Baptist Association, said the church has had “a great, great year.”
“Kevin is a bivocational pastor, and he’s had a tremendous time in ministry there,” he said. “It’s a church that’s on fire.”
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