The president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention is celebrating a homecoming of sorts.
After 19 years of being the pastor of Taylor Road Baptist Church, Montgomery, Joe Godfrey announced his resignation May 11 to accept the call to be pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Birmingham.
The move will bring him closer to his alma mater, Samford University, as well as his youngest daughter, Elizabeth Godfrey, who is a voice and music major at the school. It is also returning Godfrey’s wife, Joy, to her Birmingham hometown.
“We are very excited,” said Jerry White, chairman of Pleasant Grove’s pastor search committee.
“We feel very fortunate to have a man of his caliber coming to our church,” White said.
Godfrey sent his resume’ to the search committee at their request.
“I’ve always been open to [sending out my resume’],” Godfrey said. “I never want to close a door the Lord may be opening.”
Although Godfrey said he is “scared out of [his] mind,” at leaving the only church he has ever been pastor of, he also said he is excited.
“I began to realize that at my age, and with my experience in ministry, this could be the place where the Lord needed my gifts and abilities at this time,” Godfrey said.
“And I think it may be time for Taylor Road to have someone new with fresh ideas,” he added.
Godfrey, 48, led in founding Taylor Road Baptist Church, which started out as a mission church of Eastern Hills Baptist Church, Montgomery, 19 years ago.
Now, halfway through his first year as state convention president, Godfrey said he is confident the move will not affect his presidential duties.
Prior to being elected Alabama’s convention president at the 2002 annual meeting in Birmingham, Godfrey served two terms as first vice president of the state convention, has been president of the Alabama Baptist Pastors Conference and has been a member of the State of Missions and its executive committee.
In addition to being a graduate of Samford, Godfrey received his master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, and his doctorate of ministry from Mid-America Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tenn.
(TAB)
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