Birmingham recently hosted the largest-ever World Changers event in the organization’s 13-year history.
While more than 1,600 12- to 18-year-olds worked in Birmingham through the Birmingham Baptist Association (BBA) July 19–26, another 400 youth also volunteered in Anniston and Mobile in recent weeks.
World Changers, sponsored by the North American Mission Board (NAMB), began in 1990 as an educational, hands-on housing renovation experience for youth with the mindset to change the world by providing volunteer labor for housing renovation projects.
Gaining statewide attention for their efforts, the volunteers in Birmingham ministered in the areas of light construction work, backyard Bible clubs, sports camps, prison ministry, food and clothing shelters and nursing homes.
Butch Henderson, congregational consultant for BBA and Birmingham World Changers coordinator, said partnerships were essential in the success of the 135 construction and ministry sites.
BBA and World Changers worked with the city of Birmingham, Birmingham’s parks and recreation department, YMCA of Bessemer, NAMB, House Calls, Student Life, the Alabama Baptist State Convention and local nonprofit groups to pull off the historic event.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity to impact the city with this many students and [to see] faith-based organizations and government agencies get together to eliminate substandard housing,” Henderson said, noting the Birmingham World Changers event (in its ninth year) is partially funded by monies from a Housing and Urban Development community development block grant.
What is most important to Henderson is not the size of the project but the impact the week has on the youth and homeowners. “There is always an attitude of excitement and willingness to serve and to get the job done,” he said. “Students have the opportunity to share their faith and even invite homeowners to be a part of the daily devotion.”
The week before youth learned to shingle and repair roofs in Birmingham, the Mobile Baptist Association also hosted its ninth World Changers project.
Brent Lawson, Mobile project coordinator, said the experience was momentous as they calculated that more than $1 million in volunteer labor has been donated to Mobile in the last nine years.
“Seeing the kids do the work and allow God to work through them is exciting,” Lawson said.
He explained that more than 20 project sites and almost 300 volunteers were on hand to focus on Mobile.
“We have a great relationship with the city. They even paid for the kids’ food and rented the IMAX theater as a way to say thank you,” Lawson said, noting the partnership is more like a friendship.
The housing board provided materials and pre-qualified homes, Lawson added. “We work very well with the housing board and the city.”
Anniston has received nationwide attention due to PCB contamination in the soil and the heated debate over the incineration of chemical agents stored at the Anniston Army Depot.
“The week has been an opportunity to focus on some positive things going on in Anniston. It is not all negative things happening here,” said John Thomas, Calhoun Baptist Association associate director of missions and the association’s World Changers coordinator. He said crews completed 22 projects in west Anniston and four in neighboring Oxford July 12–19.
Thomas said the experience of World Changers has given him the chance to meet Christians from across the nation, and he is grateful. “It means a great deal to have everyone here. It was neat seeing how the week changed the lives of participants and homeowners, which is one of the goals of World Changers.”
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