Friendship Baptist Association focused on missions in a big way the first weekend in March. Twenty association churches conducted 100 revival-related missions activities March 2–3.
Ernie Carroll, director of missions (DOM) for Friendship Association, said the result was a renewed enthusiasm for the impact missions can have on a lost world.
“To me, it was a revival in the true sense of the word,” Carroll said.
He said more than 7,000 people attended various events related to the revival, with approximately $14,000 collected in love offerings. Included among the revival activities were brunches and lunches for different groups in the churches such as Royal Ambassadors, Girls in Action, youth groups, men’s and women’s ministries and others.
A total of 20 missionaries from the North American Mission Board and International Mission Board spoke at events held at the churches. In addition, Carroll said representatives from the State Board of Missions also shared the work they do.
“I think it gave great exposure to what Southern Baptists are doing around the world,” said Eric Gargus, minister to students at First Baptist Church, Oneonta.
Jenette Statham, a member of Blountsville Baptist Church, said the missionaries helped church members have a clearer understanding of missionaries and their work.
“A lot of people didn’t know about the Cooperative Program and how it works,” said Statham, who helped coordinate activities for the weekend as part of her duties as director of Woman’s Missionary Union for Friendship Association, as well as for her church. “The missionaries talked about how the Cooperative Program, Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon offerings helped them with resources they would not have otherwise.
“It really opened their eyes to a lot of things,” she said.
Gargus said a youth event Saturday night attended by students and their parents highlighted the importance of reaching Muslims. Gargus said Pat Dunn, a retired Southern Baptist missionary to Yemen, shared about her work.
“The way she conveyed her love for the Muslim people gave those present a real heart for reaching Muslims and a desire to pray for them,” Gargus said. “Her message was very powerful.”
Gargus said G.C. Harbuck, a DOM from Virginia, shared how members of churches in his association distribute water at highway rest areas each Memorial Day and Labor Day. Harbuck told the congregation that the initiative is so popular, the association usually has to turn away volunteers.
Gargus said hearing that left him and members of his church encouraged about finding creative ways to reach people.
“It really gave Baptists in our association an opportunity to say to the community that this is what we’re about and the role Baptists play in missions,” Carroll said.
Both Carroll and Statham said the weekend also stressed the role church members can have through service in their own congregations, citing volunteeers who prepared different meals for the weekend.
Even more encouraging to Carroll was that five people made professions of faith even though the weekend’s focus was on missions. “The fact that there were five people saved during a missions revival was significant,” he said.
Carroll said another outcome of the revival weekend is that it has renewed interest in a ministry center that will distribute food and clothing to needy individuals in the area. He said the center will play a vital role in their missions efforts. “It will give us an opportunity to witness to people who visit the center.”
Statham said the missions event was the first Friendship Association had conducted in seven years, noting it usually has such events every five years.
“We felt God was leading us to do this,” Statham said.
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