Jackie Masters of York is the quintessential church secretary. “That was my mission, my calling,” says the 87-year-old. With the exception of seven years of retirement in the early 2000s, she has been her church’s secretary since 1972. She has taught many, many children in Sunday School and Mission Friends. In addition, she was a lay renewal team member and served two terms as Bigbee Baptist Association’s liaison to the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. She is a former president of what is now the Alabama Association of Baptist Ministry Assistants, whose annual conference she has attended for 49 years. She is also involved in Women on Mission.
Ministry title: Church secretary
Church name: York Baptist Church, York, in Bigbee Baptist Association
Life verse: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:5–6).
Describe where you focus your greatest ministry efforts. Trying to instill in children a knowledge of and love for the Bible; taking care of some administrative duties of the church while also helping the church minister to the members and the community.
Q: Who was or is one of the most influential people in your faith life? Why?
A: Joseph Reed was my Sunday School teacher at the Christian Valley Baptist Church in Coatopa, Alabama. He taught me (from ages) 13 to 15. I married at 16. He was a wonderful man. He or his daddy came to pick up us three girls (sisters) every Sunday.
Q: What has God been teaching you lately?
A: Patience. And the needs of others — putting others first. I have always been involved in church. I want my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren to love church.
Q: If there were one thing you could tell your younger self about faith, what would it be?
A: To trust in the Lord. Earlier to turn my life over to Him. I’ve tried to outrun Him a couple of times, but I have had to come back to Proverbs 3:5–6. I wished I had turned my life completely over to the Lord earlier in life than I did. Maybe I wouldn’t have had some of the heartaches I had if I had let the Lord have complete control of my life earlier. … Some of the choices I made as a young person were not the best choices. I didn’t always ask God, “Is this right for me?” When I … learned to ask God first, life was a lot better. I tried to install that in my children. I tried to instill that in the children I taught (in Sunday School).
Q: Have you ever read a book or heard a song that changed the way you think about God and faith? What was it and what did you learn from it?
A: “Through It All.” When I first heard that song, … it was my testimony. It just spoke to me. It just spoke to my soul.
Q: Does your church have any special traditions that mean a lot to you? What are they?
A: Senior Adult Day. On that day, we recognize the oldest mama and the one with the most children. The youth would serve the meal. I feel like it means so much to our congregation. Year before last, we recognized all the people 90 years old and plus. … It was a grand thing to do.
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