As Buddy Champion nears the end of his second term as Alabama Baptist State Convention president, he said it’s easy to pick out the significant moments from the past couple of years.
“One highlight is the privilege of working with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions and the missionaries there, and the entities as well,” said Champion, who also serves as pastor of First Baptist Church Trussville. “Our state missionaries are laser focused on what their calling is and what they’re trying to accomplish, and they have a great strategy and attitude as they go about it.”
He said it’s also been a blessing to watch the entities as they fulfill their calling.
“They’re all different, and their calling is all different, but the intriguing thing is that they have Christ and the presence of Christ molded into their strategies,” Champion said. “It’s encouraging to see their passion to see people come closer to Christ, whether it’s the lost or the Church.”
He said another significant point was the implementation of the Sexual Abuse Task Force during his first year as president.
‘Very necessary task’
“It was a difficult journey to be a part of something like that but a very necessary task that needed to be accomplished, and that team was incredible,” Champion said.
He said he prays that in the decades to come, the work of the task force, which he calls “unbelievably important,” will help victims heal and protect the innocent as well. He noted the task force will report on their most recent work during the state convention annual meeting Nov. 14–15 at First Baptist Church Montgomery.
At the end of that meeting, Champion will pass the gavel to the newly elected convention president.
“It’s been a privilege to serve, and I hope I’ve been a blessing to our entities and missionaries and Alabama Baptists,” he said.
Rick Lance, SBOM executive director, said Champion “has been a champion” in his role as convention president.
‘Best of the best’
“He has exemplified the best of the best in terms of leadership these past two years,” Lance said. “Personally, Buddy has been a close confidant and wise counselor to me during his tenure of service. We have shared some late-night phone calls and one-on-one meetings which have helped me immensely. I trust him unequivocally.”
He said Alabama Baptists “can be proud of Buddy Champion.”
“He has exemplified the kind of servant leadership as president we have needed,” Lance said. “He has paved the way for others to follow in footsteps as leaders in the future.”
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