In July 1969, 16-year-old Hugh Richardson stepped into the pulpit at Pineywood Baptist Church, Gardendale, and preached his first sermon.
Fifty years later on July 14, 2019, he pulled out the same text — Romans 12:1–2 — and preached on it at First Baptist Church, Alabaster.
It’s been amazing to look back over the half century in between and think on what God has done, said Richardson, now associational missionary for Shelby Baptist Association.
Through the years he’s served as a student pastor, an adjunct seminary professor and in other ministry roles. He’s traveled on missions trips to places from Brazil to Wales.
And though he’s always preferred to be working in the background, he said it’s amazing to look at the “ripple effect” of ministry over the years — seedlings that have blossomed into something bigger.
In mid-July, for instance, as his association hosted a student missions week, one of the men in the worship band recognized him and asked if he was “Bro. Richardson.” He said yes, and the man told him that years ago Richardson had led him to Christ and baptized him.
“I’m amazed at the opportunities the Lord has allowed me to be involved with to influence people’s lives,” Richardson said. (Grace Thornton)
Share with others: