Carl Williams said he didn’t expect to find himself in a hospital bed early in his tenure as Alabama Baptist Pastors Conference president.
“I woke up the first Saturday of this year not realizing I was having a heart attack,” he said. “I ended up spending two or three days in Brookwood Hospital. God brought me through that.”
And in light of that, Williams, pastor of First Baptist Church Demopolis, said he has spent this year making sure he’s taking care of himself as he’s led the conference and served his church.
“There have been some challenges with it, but there have been good experiences this year — I wouldn’t trade it,” he said.
It’s also provided him with a chance to reflect and think about how he could encourage other pastors.
Giving back
“It’s given me an opportunity to give back to our pastors because I look back over my own life and realize just how much my pastors in my life have meant to me,” Williams said.
He said planning a day where they can come and be refreshed and encouraged “means a lot” to him.
That day — Nov. 16, the annual Alabama Baptist Pastors Conference — will focus on the theme “Rekindle the Joy.”
“When I started thinking about what I wanted the conference to be about and thinking about discouragement, the hard seasons that pastors go through … I know there are so many joys that we get to experience in ministry that I believe far outweigh the sorrows of ministry, but I think we have to be vigilant to keep that joy kindled in our hearts because that joy sustains us,” Williams said.
He said he wanted the conference to be a day that reminded pastors of the reasons they have to be joyful.
“We know guys might have to sacrifice some things to come, but it will be worth it,” he said. “It could be a tremendous opportunity for them to experience the presence of the Lord. We’ve got some great preachers coming, and the worship is going to be great.”
Grateful for support
Williams said it’s been a “really fun” day to plan and that FBC Trussville has been a great host church to work with. He said he’s also grateful for other church supporters, event sponsors and the other Pastors Conference officers:
- Chris Jones, president-elect, pastor of Meadow Brook Baptist Church in Birmingham
- Andy Frazier, vice president, pastor of Jasper’s First Baptist Church, who moved into the role after Derek Allen was named executive director-elect of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions
- Richard Richie, secretary-treasurer, pastor of Blue Springs Baptist Church in Somerville
“With the logistics and keeping us all in line, I have a great team and the folks at Trussville … there’s no way one person could do this,” he said.
Encouraged
He said it takes a lot of work to pull off, but “the reward will be on Monday the 16th to see those pastors there and know that God is going to speak through those men that are coming and they’re going to hear a Word from the Lord.”
“Hopefully it will be a day that they’ll look back on and say, ‘I’m glad I was there — that was a divine appointment for me,’” Williams said.
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