It was only 2 1/2 years, but Greg Davis said it was just a “vacation” from the air when he returned to the airwaves in April for Priority Talk.
“It feels like I went on vacation and now I’m back,” said Davis, president of First Priority Greater Birmingham.
The show, which was on the air for more than seven years, had taken a break but returned to the airwaves April 5. The show airs 3–5 p.m. each weekday on WXJC 101.1 FM and AM 850 and focuses on positive news with a Christian perspective.
Raising awareness
“The radio has just been a great way to share good news with the community at large and pass along Christian values,” Davis said. “It’s really about collaboration and just telling the stories of what God’s doing through people in churches and ministries all across our state. It helps us raise awareness for good causes.”
Davis said it’s a way to let people know “what they can do and how they can be involved.”
Davis credits Crawford Broadcasting with the biggest “signal to broadcast the preaching and teaching of God’s word and daily talk from a Christian perspective.”
“I just think that it’s pretty awesome that they do that because they could do anything with this station,” and they choose to broadcast with a Christian worldview, he said.
Between the two signals, the show reaches from below Montgomery up into Tennessee and into neighboring states Georgia and Mississippi.
“They’ve chosen to use this to be Alabama’s gospel voice,” said Davis, who also praised WDJC, which is one of the first stations to exclusively feature Christian programming and is also owned by Crawford Broadcasting.
“I’m not really a radio person,” Davis said. “I’m a minister doing a radio show. Our subject is related to Jesus. If we can relate it to that, we’ll talk about it.”
Davis and his wife, Sandi, have two children: Trent, 20, is a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; Meagan, 18, just graduated from Corner High School and starts at the University of North Alabama soon.
Sandi, a speech pathologist at Corner Middle and High schools, is a First Priority faculty sponsor.
Davis graduated from UAB with a bachelor’s in secondary education and a master of divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. They are members of HighPoint Community Church in Corner.
History
First Priority was founded in Birmingham 30 years ago by Benny Proffitt. What started in a handful of schools in central Alabama has spread to all 50 states and other parts of the world as well.
First Priority meets in middle and high schools led by students.
“We help the local churches connect to their local schools to set up legal Christian clubs for outreach,” Davis said.
Priority Kids is aimed at elementary children and needs a leader from within the school or community. Davis has been on staff 25 years and was involved as a volunteer before that time.
Partnering with churches
“We provide strategy and resources and training,” Davis said. “We will work with a community of churches who want to implement something in their schools. It’s a campus ministry for the local church.”
The students follow the Equal Access Act of 1984 to ask for clubs in their school. First Priority helps show what is legal or what works.
Davis said the groups vary in size, but the older the students, the smaller the groups. Priority Kids groups average 75 to 100 students, while middle schools tend to average anywhere from 25 to 75. High schools average below 50 students.
“Kids get busy,” he said. “What goes on on the campus, we see reflects what’s going on in the churches.”
Davis is happy to share with others how to start a group. For more information about groups for older children and teens, visit firstpriorityal.com or send an email to info@firstpriorityal.com. For elementary level, visit prioritykids.com. Davis also takes suggestions and questions about the radio show at greg@prioritytalkradio.com.
Praying for schools
A new school year means a fresh start for many, including nonprofits like First Priority of Alabama.
The organization helps middle and high school students start clubs at their local school and teachers or parents begin Priority Kids clubs at elementary schools.
August 6–8, First Priority is organizing Weekend of Prayer Over Alabama Students and is providing resources for local churches and individuals to organize, host and facilitate prayer walks for schools.
There are many ways to be involved:
- Pray as you drive through a school zone, or purposefully turn into the school and drive through the entrance and around the building praying for all involved.
- Plan a prayer walk around your local schools.
- Encourage students, teachers and administrators. Send a note, call or text to let them know they are in your prayers.
- Send out students before they return to school. Take time in a church service to pray over and commission students to go and be disciples in their schools.
List your event with First Priority at info@firstpriorityal.com. For resources, visit firstpriorityal.com/thelatest/weekend-of-prayer.
Share with others: