State Baptist newspaper bolsters missions efforts

Each week, more than 2,200 Baptist congregations throughout the state read The Alabama Baptist to discover what other churches are doing in their communities and around the world. In doing so, many are inspired to begin or expand their own giving and outreach projects to help fulfill the Great Commission, according to the staff of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM) in Montgomery.
   
“I think the primary thing is it (The Alabama Baptist) informs them about what other people are giving,” said John MacLaren, director of the SBOM Cooperative Program and stewardship development office. “Probably more often than that, they will see where a church has been faithful in its giving and it will show them where they need to give more than they are already giving.”
   
Like MacLaren, Reggie Quimby, director of the SBOM global partnerships and volunteers in missions office, believes that The Alabama Baptist impacts ministry outreach programs in Baptist churches throughout the state. Church members often contact him to learn more about missions projects after reading about them in the paper.
   
“I think it has a positive impact on Alabama Baptists because the main source of many of our churches’ missions education is through The Alabama Baptist,” Quimby said. “Sometimes that is the only thing that they have on hand to be able to read about missions and also opportunities to be involved in missions.”
   
When First Baptist Church, Albertville, member Carol Smith read about the Baptist Beginnings pilgrimage in The Alabama Baptist, she and her newly retired husband were looking for ministry opportunities for their church. They had no idea that it would lead them to a missions project that would not only affect their congregation, but also the lives of many people living in the New England area.
   
While on the weeklong visit led by The Alabama Baptist Editor Bob Terry, the Smiths met a businessman who was affiliated with the Farmington Baptist Conference Center in Maine who shared with them many of the area’s needs.
   
“At that time, Augusta (Maine) was the only state capital in the United States that didn’t have an SBC church,” Smith said. “In all of New England, there are only 236 Baptist congregations — that includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut — for more than 14 million people who live there. On Sunday, only 11,000 to 12,000 people attend a Southern Baptist church. So, we need to share our wealth.”
   
After the trip, First Baptist Church, Albertville, made an agreement with the Maine Baptist Association to help sponsor the pastor of a backyard Bible church by sending $100 every month for two years. The Maine associational missionary spoke at First Church, Albertville, during the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering Week of Prayer.
   
“I don’t think that any of this would have happened if we had not read in The Alabama Baptist about the Baptist Beginnings tour and had not taken the trip and had the opportunity to meet the Baptist associational missionaries in New England.
   
Even though that is where the Baptist work began, there is not very much Baptist work going on up there now,” Smith said. “Going on the trip with Dr. Terry impressed on us that our church here is very wealthy compared to those churches in Maine and we went to share in our wealth and resources and most importantly the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
   
She added, “The Alabama Baptist is very important to me because it is a way to inspire individuals and churches to do missions work. I feel like it is important for every Alabama Baptist church member to receive The Alabama Baptist in their home so they can stay informed of the workings of Baptist life and be aware of opportunities as they come about.”
   
Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) volunteer connection specialist Kristy Carr also knows the missions impact of The Alabama Baptist.
   
She receives numerous calls from churches interested in missions work after The Alabama Baptist publishes articles on WMU-led projects.
   
“It shows so many ways we as Christians can learn from each other how to minister to others.”