Phi Vo waited 20 long years for the church he grew up in, Mobile’s Vietnamese Mission, to become just that — an actual church. And May 11, it finally did.
"I remember growing up and pastors would come and go" and fully constituting as a church "would never work out," said Vo, associate pastor of the Mobile Baptist Association church. "But we’re now fully formed."
The former mission’s 130 members — who constitute more than 5 percent of Mobile County’s entire Vietnamese-American population, according to Vo — are on the cusp of reorganizing its entire identity as Vietnamese Obedience Baptist Church, complete with a new set of bylaws and new building.
Led by Pastor Bao Nguyen "Daniel" Tran, the congregation is in negotiations for some property and hopes to move within 30 days.
Since 1999, it has been sponsored by and meeting at Hollinger’s Island Baptist Church, Mobile, in Mobile Association.
James Mercer, pastor of Hollinger’s Island Baptist, remembers when the Vietnamese congregation came to his church, the ultimate goal was to have its own church building. Now, as the congregation prepares to make the move, he couldn’t be more proud.
While expressing deep appreciation for Mobile Association Executive Director of Missions Thomas Wright, Vo said Mercer has been like a father to him.
Mercer sees a family connection as well.
"Our congregation looks upon them as a sister fellowship," he said of the Vietnamese congregation. "When we talk, it’s of one family. There are two different congregations but one church family. We have that sense [of unity] about the work."
Mercer likened the arrangement to that of a large church holding multiple worship services while also holding multiple Sunday Schools with members passing each other in the halls while switching from Sunday School classrooms to the sanctuary.
But achieving the goal of not only moving into its own building but also moving from a mission to a church means a lot, Vo said.
"The Lord has blessed us," he said. "We’ve been through a lot, and we’ve been a mission for 20 years. Now we can say that we are fully a church, not just a mission. … It’s a very good time for us."
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