State paper helps church meet challenges

State paper helps church meet challenges

When Roger Willmore began serving as pastor of First Baptist Church, Weaver, in 1995 both the church and the community were facing a big challenge — the shutdown of Fort McClellan. It was located just two miles away, and about 20 percent of the church membership was connected to the military base. Among that group were many church leaders, Sunday School teachers, deacons and faithful contributors.
   
The base closed two years ago, but the church is going strong, thanks to a number of changes Willmore led it to make. Some of those changes involved help from the Alabama Baptist Convention and the state Baptist paper.
   
The Weaver church was strengthened by using “Celebrate Your Church,” a self-evaluation process sponsored by the state convention. A cross section of the congregation made up the church’s 20-member Vision Task Force that helped “put the church under a microscope.” Willmore said, “God gave us a vision.”
   
Both a mission statement and a vision statement were developed, giving the church a means by which all its ministries came under a common goal and purpose.
   
“We are still making progress,” Willmore said. “We ask ourselves, ‘Are we moving in a unified way?’ If not, we stop and reevaluate. In our meetings we bring this out and say, ‘Is this helping us fulfill the vision God has given this church?’”
   
The church also broadened its missions vision when it began sending The Alabama Baptist to every family in the church. Willmore said, “I want our people to have a knowledge of what is happening beyond our church: in the state, the nation and the world.”  
   
Willmore noted The Alabama Baptist is a facilitator of healthy conversation between the church members and himself on issues of interest and concern.
   
“One of the real advantages of their reading The Alabama Baptist is that they get a much wider perspective of Baptist life and Christian life. I don’t want them to just get my opinion all the time. It is important to hear what other people are saying and thinking.”
   
For several years the church has hosted nationally known preachers, including presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, who participate in the church’s annual sermon series known as “Great Preachers in America.” Willmore said the series “is for all, especially local pastors. It gives them a chance to meet some great men of God. Our church has given very good support,” he noted.
   
“My ambition has been that we would be known as a church centered around the Word of God,” Willmore said.
   
The pastor has long studied the historical works of British theologians, especially those of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Interestingly, when Willmore came to Weaver, the church already owned a pulpit from Spurgeon’s College, near London. It had been donated by Texas pastor W.A. Criswell, who preached at Weaver two or three times in the 1970s.
   
When Willmore came as pastor, the church was developing plans for a new sanctuary. He asked the builder to prepare a special place under the pulpit to hold one of his most worn Bibles. Now, as Willmore preaches, he is “standing on the promises of God.”
   
Although Willmore has preached in several foreign countries, most of his pastoral years have been spent in churches near Gadsden, his place of birth. Those include Cherry Street Baptist Church and Southside Baptist Church in Etowah County, Locust Fork Baptist Church in Blount County and First Baptist Church, Weaver.
   
Emphasizing the importance of following God’s call, Willmore quoted Eric Alexander of Scotland: “There is no ideal place of service to God except the place where He has set you down. That is a divine assignment.”
  
Willmore and his wife, Sandra, have one son, Andrew, who is with Trinity Broadcasting Network’s television station in Gadsden.
   
This year Willmore is serving as president of the Alabama Baptist Pastors Conference. Some of his writings recently appeared in Growing Churches magazine, and he is participating in four workshops at Ridgecrest and Glorieta conference centers this summer.
   
On July 29, churches across the state will be observing “Read The Alabama Baptist Day,” emphasizing the state Baptist paper’s ministry. First Baptist, Weaver, is one of a growing number of churches that have a special reason for appreciating the paper.
   
In March 2000 the Weaver church started using a local edition of The Alabama Baptist to deliver its newsletter more efficiently. The church’s page is printed on the outside of the state Baptist paper. The cost of $35 for each newsletter allowed the church to increase the frequency of publication and save money in the process.
   
Vickey Weathers, the church’s financial and administrative secretary, prepares the page.
   
She said, “I love doing it this way. It takes a couple of hours instead of a couple of days. It works out real well.”
   
Willmore said, “The local edition is a much more efficient way to get our news out.”
   
He made an observation that other pastors have mentioned: Readership of the church’s  information increases when the newsletter is placed on the outside of the state Baptist paper.
   
“We have more people reading our church newsletter now,” Willmore said. “And they are better informed about Alabama Baptist life than before,” he added.
   
“I like the balance between world news and your own local church. It is a good balance.”