About 80 percent of the people Harvest Evangelism in Opelika ministers to come out of the church — staff members, pastors’ wives and those from a “good” Christian family — said Rick Hagans.
Hagans, founder and president of Harvest Evangelism (a Christian ministry to drug addicts, alcoholics and the homeless), was the main speaker for the annual meeting of the Alabama Network of Christian Community Ministers (CCM), held Nov. 14 at the Mobile Baptist Association office.
While in 2005 there were 349,000 people in the state with drug addictions and about 200 people died each day that year because of drug related issues, the church as a whole has “stuck their head in the sand like the ostrich does,” Hagans said.
As addiction issues continue to infiltrate into the Christian community, something must be done, Hagans said. “Keep on going, don’t give up. A lot of (Christians) don’t go where you go (as community ministers),” he said.
“Don’t take (the opportunity) for granted. (The lost) just want a friend, someone they can look up to and know that you care about them.”
In other business:
• Linda Pair, church and community ministries director for Birmingham Baptist Association and the 2011 CCM president, recognized those who worked tirelessly and sacrificially after the April 27 tornadoes.
• The 2012 officers elected were: President Leroy Cole, Covington Baptist Association; First Vice President Donna McCullough, Etowah Baptist Association; Second Vice President Lou Ann Raughton, director of Community of Hope and member of Dalraida Baptist Church, Montgomery; Secretary Karen Lee, Etowah Baptist Association; and Treasurer Keith Brown, Shelby Baptist Association.
• Members nominated and elected a 2012 nominating committee. Jane Ferguson, Diane Lowe and Lisa Rose, all from Montgomery Baptist Association, will serve as the new nominating committee.
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