Grateful Readers

As a member of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, Hueytown, I have always been grateful that our pastor leads our congregation to provide The Alabama Baptist weekly paper to every member of our church family. Our weekly issue almost always arrives on Thursday, and I look forward to each new issue. After reading an especially excellent issue, I have often thought that I should write and let you know just how much I enjoy the publication. After reading the June 21 issue, I was especially moved to write because I enjoyed literally every page.

Your comment article titled “Thoughts” was especially thought-provoking for me. I also found the article titled “Statement on Calvinism by longtime SBC leaders draws debate” to be very thought-provoking. To know that great men of faith struggle with this particularly challenging area of theology is enlightening. I found the article titled “A Statement of Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvation” to be both enlightening and a wonderful aid in studying this doctrine. Additionally I found the article featuring comments about “the elephant in the room” by Jerry Vines, Albert Mohler and Frank Page to frame the dilemma very forthrightly that Southern Baptists find themselves in. Though I enjoyed the “‘What’s in a name?’” article, I find my own personal attitude toward a new descriptor to be somewhat negative. I recall the descriptor “Missionary Baptists” from my boyhood. I liked that name and didn’t want to see it changed to “Southern Baptists.” The new descriptor, “Great Commission Baptists,” actually again embraces the theological philosophy of the name we left behind from the days of my youth. Since I am now 72 years of age, I am sure my opinion does not come as a surprise.

I want you to know that my wife, Jessica, and I have added you and the staff of The Alabama Baptist to our daily prayer list. You are all doing a wonderful job. I am so proud of our Alabama Baptist publication and want every person who plays any role in the excellence of its publication to know and be praised. We pray that God will continue to bless you and the staff and that you will be able to continue this excellent publication for many years to come.

A. David Hayes
Hueytown, Ala.