Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Alabama Baptist
Search
Close this search box.
The Alabama Baptist
Search
Close this search box.
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Classifieds
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Classifieds
  • Free Email Newsletter

New awards recognize disciple-making leaders in Alabama

  • April 12, 2022
  • Grace Thornton
  • Alabama News, Discipleship, Latest News
Topper Reid (right) served at Hunter Street in the 1990s.

New awards recognize disciple-making leaders in Alabama

Roundtables. Huddles. The language used around the Discipleship Network of Alabama points to where network leaders say they believe things happen — in relationships.

Just ask Daniel Edmonds where his life has been changed, and he points quickly to his relationship with Andrew Smith, a longtime pastor and leader of the Sunday School office at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.

Edmonds, current director of the SBOM office of Sunday School & discipleship, said Smith took him under his wing as a young man and mentored him in ministry and disciple making until Smith died in 2015.

“But I wasn’t the only one — I was one of many,” Edmonds said.

He started naming people who also would bring up Smith’s name if asked who had influenced their life toward making disciples. 

Steve Layton, lead strategist for groups in the office of Sunday School & discipleship, said it’s because of stories like this that DNA presented three new awards at their January gathering. 

Sharing stories

Layton said several months ago he was at a meeting listening to Topper Reid, vice president of Unlimited Partnerships’ church coaching division and a longtime minister of education, share his story. Then Edmonds got up and began sharing his story.

“I realized it was important to capture some of these stories and pass them on,” Layton recalled.

And as he talked with others “we came to the realization that we needed to continue to celebrate excellence among some of the leaders in the state of Alabama,” Layton said.

Three new awards will be presented annually to honor men who have poured into others — the daily, life-on-life kind of investment that doesn’t often get recognized, he explained. 

“We have these great men who have given and mentored others, and we wanted to celebrate them and create this culture of learning from those who have served and led well.”

The inaugural awards honored six — the three for whom they are named, and this year’s recipients.

New awards

The new awards are:

Joe Armour presents Eleanor Wells with her husband Carl’s posthumous award.

*The Andrew Smith Legacy Leader Award, in memory of the man who mentored Edmonds and many others. Smith grew up at Chisholm Baptist Church in Montgomery and served as a pastor of churches in Florida and Alabama, and as the first pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Montgomery.

He began serving with the Sunday School office in 1986 and became director in 1996.

The award was presented posthumously to Carl P. Wells, who served 40 years on the pastoral staff of First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa. He began his ministry there in 1963 and retired in 1996, returning in 2002 to serve another seven years as minister of senior adults. He died in 2020.

“Carl knew more than the rest of us and had certainly done more than the rest of us, and he would come to our conferences and I would say, ‘We should switch places’ and he would say, ‘No, I’ve come to learn,’” Edmonds remembered. “He was such a great person and a great encourager.”

Joe Armour, minister to adults and outreach at FBC Tuscaloosa, presented the award to Wells’ wife, Eleanor.

Jay Gordon (left) and Daniel Edmonds.

*The Daniel Edmonds Disciple Making Leader Award, in honor of Edmonds, who has served at the helm of the office of Sunday School & discipleship nearly 26 years and was instrumental in starting DNA.

The award was presented to Jay Gordon, adult and small groups minister at the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, whose passion is to lead small groups, equip others to lead and connect with leaders across the state to equip and encourage them.

*The Topper Reid Emerging Leader Award, in honor of Reid who was a minister of education for 28 years. From 1991 to 2004 he served at Hunter Street Baptist Church in Hoover, where his Sunday School grew from 900 to more than 3,200 in attendance, with enrollment topping 8,000. During that time he helped start more than 260 Sunday School small groups.

Topper Reid (left) and Kris Henderson.

The award was presented to Kris Henderson, discipleship pastor at Macedonia Baptist Church in Ranburne. He and his family served as missionaries to Honduras for seven years, during which he was pastor of International Christian Fellowship in San Pedro Sula. God gave him a burden then for disciple making in the local church context, and he now puts that into practice at Macedonia Baptist, where he’s helping start new small groups and developing a culture of evangelism.

Edmonds said the three awards are “to celebrate people who are leading the way and doing what they’re God-called to do.”

The next set of awards will be announced at the January 2023 DNA gathering. 

For more information visit makingdisciplesal.org.

Share with others:

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on email
Email

Latest News

  • Your Voice: Importance of building emotional intelligence
    Your Voice: Importance of building emotional intelligence
    November 30, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Chuck Norris shares about life at 83 and how he’s aging well
    Chuck Norris shares about life at 83 and how he’s aging well
    November 30, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Diagnosing ‘invisible condition’ of dysautonomia offers opportunity for many to thrive again
    Diagnosing ‘invisible condition’ of dysautonomia offers opportunity for many to thrive again
    November 29, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Ephesians study designed for mentor/mentee use

March 17, 2021

When Barbara Kay Edwards came to faith in Jesus as a girl, someone at the church gave her a Bible

Troy church seeks to disciple by ‘living life together’

January 17, 2017

Malachi Gandy says hardly a week goes by that he doesn’t run into discipleship happening when he’s out and about

NorthPark’s discipleship lifestyle makes, multiplies disciples like Jesus did

January 11, 2017

By Grace Thornton The Alabama Baptist Bill Wilks said there will never be a time in his life that he’s

Relationship with God needs time to listen, ‘just like friendship’

September 1, 2016

Doug Webster said he got an email recently that disturbed him a little bit. “The sender, a leader of an

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Our Staff
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Our Staff
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos
  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy
  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
The Alabama Baptist
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 The Alabama Baptist, Inc.
  • Privacy Policy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
Email:
news@thealabamabaptist.org

About

  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Our Staff
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Our Staff
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos
  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy
  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service

Log In

Lost your password?

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel