Shelby Baptist Association, led by mission strategist Ric Camp, ministered to the people of Alaska this summer in an ongoing partnership with Greater Friendship Baptist Church, Anchorage.
This marked the association’s third project with GFBC, which is widely recognized as the first African American church incorporated into the Southern Baptist Convention and the first African American church in Alaska. This year the church celebrated its 75th anniversary.
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The team of 27 Shelby Baptists, four Sand Mountain Baptist optometrists and five representatives of Vision Service Plan set up free vision clinics in the community from June 24 to 27.
Sonja Bennett from North Shelby Baptist Church, Birmingham, recalled opportunities for gospel conversations while people waited their turn to receive an eye exam. When finished, VSP and the optometrists had seen a total of 338 patients — and more than 200 new pairs of glasses were distributed.
Additional projects
Other teams in the group constructed quadplexes, transitional homes for low income families in need. GFBC and the Shelby Baptist team also held a Friendship Day block party in a park near the church building.
Throughout the earlier parts of the week, the team provided some light landscaping, repairs and cleaning at Greater Friendship’s building in preparation for the anniversary celebration.
Camp preached during the July 28 Sunday service, and the team and congregation worshipped together. Later in the afternoon during the anniversary party, pastor Michael Bunton and his wife Nathalie received plaques on behalf of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, the North American Mission Board and the SBC.
Continued growth, opportunity
GFBC’s greatest obstacle is having enough space, Camp noted. “Through God’s blessing, they’ve outgrown their current facility.” But he added, “They make a small building work for them.”
Reflecting on the state of missions in Alaska, Camp describes the Last Frontier as “right on the line of being an unreached people group in our own nation.” Camp pointed out that 13 states the size of Alabama could fit within the borders of Alaska, and the entire state has approximately 80 Baptist churches, while Shelby County alone has 63.
One fruit of these trips, Camp noted, is “the awareness it’s brought our people to.”
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