Montgomery Baptist Association’s 56 churches are each bursting at the seams with a rich history and a bright future, according to Director of Missions Ken May.
So it was a fitting decision for the association’s 125th annual meeting Oct. 16 to be a celebration of the impact these churches have made and are still making in the area, he said.
“We are heralding in the fact that we are launching into our 125th year as missions-minded churches — it’s going to be a yearlong celebration,” May said to the 300 present at the associational meeting at Eastern Hills Baptist Church, Montgomery.
A history fair in the church’s gym allowed those who attended the meeting to browse through tables overflowing with decades’ worth of church photos, historical documents and other memorabilia from each of the association’s churches. Church members strolled around, chatting with each other about where their churches had been and where they were going.
Later that evening, the crowd assembled in the sanctuary and watched as banners bearing the name and creed of area churches were carried down the aisles to set the focus right away on the unity of the congregations in the association.
“It is both hopeful and historic that we prepare for our 125th year of work as an association, and as we embark on an era of work and witness, we need to remember that there is strength in togetherness,” said Gary Burton, pastor of Pintlala Baptist Church, Hope Hull, who brought the evening’s message.
In today’s world, many are content to have “relationships with exit strategies” rather than focusing on lifelong loyalty, he said. It’s in togetherness that Montgomery Association churches have the strength to reach their area for Christ, Burton explained. “It is better to do the work of Christ together than alone.”
Those in attendance also heard messages via video from a couple of former Montgomery Association directors of missions, and five members of Heritage Baptist Church, Montgomery, presented a drama about the four churches that formed the beginnings of the association.
“These four Baptist churches (Antioch, Bethel, Enon and Rehoboth) in 1819 started the first effort of missions association,” Burton said, adding that it was from them that Montgomery Association developed its concept and ideals in 1882.
During the program, Frances Hamilton, executive director of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, also presented the association with a plaque commemorating its 125th year.
May said he was pleased with the way the celebration turned out. “I thought it was an outstanding meeting with excellent participation, especially for a Monday night.”
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