Alabama Baptist pastors “don’t serve people, we serve the Lord,” said Gary Hollingsworth, pastor of First Baptist Church, Trussville.
“We get so caught up in the demands, we sometimes lose focus of what the ministry is all about,” he explained.
The president of this year’s Alabama Baptist Pastors Conference, Hollingsworth said the concept of losing focus is what prompted him to choose the theme “It’s All About Jesus” for this year’s meeting.
The daylong conference will be held Nov. 15 at First Baptist Church, Montgomery.
“We need to keep Jesus as our focus,” he explained. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Focus found in Scripture
Philippians 2:9–11 is the Scripture for the conference, Hollingsworth said. “It fit more with the theme than anything,” he explained. “It deals with Who we really serve.”
To expand upon the theme, Hollingsworth called on eight Southern Baptist pastors and educators to share with Alabama Baptists.
These include, in order of appearance:
-Keith Thomas, pastor of Cottage Hill Baptist Church, Mobile.
-Roy Fish, professor of evangelism at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas.
-Bobby Welch, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of First Baptist Church, Daytona Beach, Fla. Welch is a native of Fort Payne and was baptized, called to the ministry and ordained at First Baptist Church, Fort Payne.
He has served at First, Daytona Beach, for 30 years.
-Clint Pressley, pastor of Dauphin Way Baptist Church, Mobile.
-Gary Frost, director of missions of the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association.
-Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, N.C.
-Joe Brown, pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C.
-Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church, Pensacola, and native of Pisgah.
Hollingsworth said he is particularly looking forward to having Pressley and Thomas speak. “They are both new pastors at strong leading churches in the state,” he explained. “This is a great way to introduce them to the state and the state to them.”
Woven among the preachers will be music led by Travis Cottrell, who does all the music for Beth Moore’s conferences. In the evening session a combined choir from First, Trussville, and First, Montgomery, will provide special music.
Joe Estes, worship leader for First, Trussville, and Chip Colee, minister of music for First, Montgomery, will lead the choir.
Hollingsworth said he is excited about holding the conference in First, Montgomery’s new sanctuary. The new sanctuary and renovations to other buildings were completed in July.
“We are delighted to host the Pastors Conference for 2004 in our new facilities,” said Jay Wolf, pastor of First, Montgomery. “We feel like God has given us the gift of this building and it is a joy for us to share it.”
Wolf said he hopes the conference will be a time of renewing and re-energizing the state’s pastors.
“It’s almost like charging your cell phone to come together,” he said. “It’s a positive and wonderful experience to meet as brothers in Christ and as ministry leaders for the body of Christ in Alabama.”
For more information about the Pastors Conference and details of the Nov. 16–17 annual meeting of Alabama Baptists, such as hotels, schedule of events and related meetings, visit www.thealabamabaptist.org.
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