According to Gov. Bob Riley, the high seat that Alabama’s governor sits in is a humbling place to be.
“If you could sit in the governor’s chair, you would see – it’s been like watching Alabama from 100,000 feet (since Hurricane Katrina) as county after county has responded,” he told those present at Birmingham Baptist Association’s ministers’ conference, held Oct. 10 at Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Birmingham.
“When you yourselves (Birmingham Baptists) fed more than 20,000 meals (to evacuees), did you ask them if they were Republican or Democrat? Did you ever think you would get anything out of it personally? No- you did it out of the love you had for them, for people you didn’t know.”
Riley, a member of First Baptist Church, Ashland, said Baptists set a wonderful example for the world to see after Katrina sent evacuees into Alabama by the hundreds.
“We didn’t know many of the shelters even existed until two weeks after the hurricane,” he said.
“Then we found out there were hundreds of additional people being ministered to, housed and fed. Jesus said, ‘When you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto Me.’ We are God’s instruments here.”
Bob Shipp, associate pastor of Centercrest Baptist Church, Center Point, prayed for Riley before he spoke, asking God to give Riley wisdom as he has “the responsibility of shepherding the largest congregation in the state.”
It is the prayers of Alabama Baptists that sustain him in his work, Riley said.
“There are times the prayers are obvious – even palpable. I can literally feel the people of this state praying for me and that’s an awesome experience,” he said.
Prayer changes more than we can even conceive of, Riley said.
“Keep praying for us. It makes all the difference in the world.”
(TAB)
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