‘Men to Men’ conference planned

Mobile-area Baptists are preparing to be part of an April 6-7 ecumenical event that could bring up to 8,000 men to the port city. This event could also impact the area’s economy to the tune of $6 million dollars, and most importantly, bring men to a stronger walk with Christ, affecting their families, churches and communities throughout Alabama.
   
The event, “Men to Men: To the Point,” will have a slate of speakers ready to challenge men to rise above mediocrity and live strong, solid spiritual lives, thereby impacting their communities in a positive manner.
   
With a men’s choir composed of men from many different churches, a praise and worship band and high profile guest speakers, the event promises inspiration and challenge. Speakers announced at a Feb. 7 press conference are, Steve Farrar, Rick Rigsby, Gary Rosberg and Stu Weber.
   
“When you stand eye to eye with a man, you know what that man stands for,” said Desmond Toler, chairman of the event. “At this conference, these speakers will be standing eye to eye with 6,000 to 8,000 people of our region.
   
This is not a conference for men who want to play church; it’s serious business. Lives all over the area are at stake.”
  
The arena-style conference, to be held in the Mitchell Center, home of the University of South Alabama Jaguars basketball team, is already seeing wide support and is expected to draw men from four states, said Toler, a member of Sage Avenue Baptist Church.
   
“We are reaching men across four states — Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. We’re reaching men across denominational lines — Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Catholics, Assemblies of God — you name it, they are all going to be involved,” he said.
   
Toler said organizers have several busloads of men already committed to coming from north Alabama and 20-plus busloads from the Montgomery and Auburn-Opelika area. They have been talking with 40 to 50 churches along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and they are contacting churches in the Pensacola area.
   
The conference is sponsored by Gulf Coast Christian Men in Action.
   
Brenda Scott, president and CEO of the Mobile Convention and Visitors Corporation, spoke at the press conference announcing the event, saying, “They will generate about 750 room nights for that weekend and about a $6 million economic impact — that’s good for the city as well, but just to have them fellowship and unite in our city is very important — what they stand for is very important. As a Christian myself, we are blessed to have this in our community … it really kind of gives us a chance to understand and unite as Christians, so I’m really very, very pleased about that,” Scott said.
   
Lambert Mims, director of the Baptist Men’s Ministry of the Mobile Baptist Association said they are supportive.
   
“We have put forth a great deal of effort to get all of our churches involved … we’re giving it our wholehearted support,” he said.
   
Members of the Men to Men conference’s board are: Sage Avenue Baptist Church members Jerry Betts, Charlie Smith and, of course, Toler; Cottage Hill Baptist Church members Brian Goul and Gary Morris, First, North Mobile, members Bill Humphrey; Day Spring Baptist Church member Kerry Weatherford; Mims, a member of Riverside Baptist Church; Highpoint Baptist Church pastor, Lemuel Taylor and Knollwood Assembly of God member Jerrel Gilliam.
   
Ed Litton, pastor First, North Mobile, spoke to attendees at the press conference. “As a pastor, I work on the front lines of some of the greatest social issues of our time. I find today that people want to do what’s right, but they need encouragement and a challenge to do what’s right,” Litton said. He said it is time for such a conference and he encouraged people to get involved in it. Afterward he said, “I think Baptist involvement is critical, not just because of our numbers, but because of the core beliefs that are involved in this. The men who are coming as the keynote speakers are all committed to biblical integrity, the Word of God and applying the Word of God to men’s lives.”
   
“The main challenge is to lead and encourage men to take their roles of leadership in spiritual responsibility in the home and community. It has the side effect of uniting men with other churches; we have spiritual near kin all over this community and we need to encourage that,” he said.