With 2007 being the 300th anniversary of Baptist associations in the United States, it was only fitting for the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission to be the group to highlight the milestone.
Lonette Berg, executive director of the historical commission, devoted most of her annual meeting report time to the occasion, offering a brief review of the history.
She also shared the name and date organized of each of Alabama’s 75 Baptist associations, noting Bethlehem (formerly named Beckbe) as the oldest fully Alabama association, organized in 1816.
“We have had over 190 years of association work in Alabama,” Berg said.
This year was also a milestone year in that the historical commission worked in every association at least once either by participating in a special church or association anniversary or by providing one of its services.
Preserving the record
“We had a 22 percent increase in our anniversary ministry,” Berg said, noting that a representative from the historical commission attends the special anniversary celebration and presents a certificate.
As far as services the historical commission provides, she reminded Alabama Baptists that it is there to help preserve the records of churches, associations and state convention entities.
“Microfilm will last 500 to 1,000 years,” Berg said. “We are working diligently to collect, preserve and share the history and legacy (of Alabama Baptists).
“Please work with us to assure the preservation of the written record of what our Alabama Baptist family of faith has done.”
She also presented the Thomas Shumaker Historical Research and Writing Award for 2007 to 22-year-old Taylor Clement, a May graduate of Samford University in Birmingham.
Clement, the grandson of the late Alabama Baptist pastor Reginal Stokes, wrote about “Preparing Through Prophesy: The War Time Writings of Dr. L.L. Gwaltney.”
“It is a blessing to be honored from the historical commission. It is about as nice as it comes for a young teacher and his wife,” said Clement, who began his first semester as a history teacher in Franklin, Tenn., this fall. (TAB)
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