Fred Lackey wasn’t going to let a broken jaw stop him from missing a Sunday church service for the first time in nearly 10 years but it was doctor’s orders.
The next Sunday, Lackey returned to church and 50 years later, he reached the 50-year mark of perfect attendance. He reached the milestone July 3 at Westside Baptist Church, Jasper, where he serves as pastor.
Lackey said he’s always been “a church man” and hasn’t missed church because the congregations he has been a part of have been such a blessing.
“I’ve heard churches talk about bad deacons and bad congregations, but I’ve never seen that in my years as a pastor,” Lackey said.
He served as bivocational pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Prattville, from 1956 until 1964; Westside Baptist from 1964 until 1972; and First Baptist Church, Athens, from 1972 until 1996 before he began working at the University of Mobile (UMobile) as assistant to the president.
Lackey continues to work at UMobile and returned to Westside as pastor in 1998.
UMobile President Mark Foley said, “While it is certainly a remarkable achievement to have a perfect church attendance record for 50 years, it is no surprise to me that Fred Lackey would be the one to have attained that honor. His dedication to God and commitment to serving God’s people are perfect examples to me and to the remarkable span of generations he continues to influence.”
Lackey added, “I hope I’m going to be well enough and healthy enough to attend [church] for several more years.”
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