Dave Walsh, pastor of Ariton Baptist Church, was aware of The Alabama Baptist before his daughter, Maggie, started working at the newspaper as an intern about a decade ago.
But once she spent some time on the staff of TAB Media — and then came back in a full-time role — he began to really be aware of all the resources the media and communications ministry had to offer for pastors and churches.
And now Walsh, in addition to his duties as pastor, has joined the TAB Media team in a part-time role as media and marketing consultant.
“My main focus will be working with pastors and churches to build those connections,” he said, adding that he wants to share with churches of all sizes how TAB can come alongside them and become a ministry tool.
‘Pastor Connections’
Part of his new role is coordinating an email newsletter called Pastor Connections that goes exclusively to senior pastors twice a month.
“That’s the group that needs to be bolstered first,” Walsh said, noting the primary purpose of the newsletter is to curate informational and educational resources produced by TAB Media outlets that will be of help to pastors both personally and professionally.
It also provides a way to connect pastors with other Alabama Baptist ministries available through TAB Media’s sister entities and organizations such as the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries, the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, The Baptist Foundation of Alabama, Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center, University of Mobile, Samford University and other groups and ministries.
Already the newsletter has drawn responses from pastors that have allowed him to have personal conversations with them about their struggles and encourage them.
“I want to help church leaders who are struggling with the new normal,” he said. “I’m looking forward to making a little bit of difference.”
Walsh also be joining the effort overseen by Debbie Campbell, director of communications, to share how individual church members, congregations and associations can most effectively partner with TAB Media.
TAB editor-in-chief Jennifer Davis Rash said Walsh has already done a lot to help this year on a volunteer basis and she’s excited about making the role official.
Building relationships
“All staff members of The Alabama Baptist and TAB Media have close relationships with our Alabama Baptist family and we know those connections will only grow closer as we go forward, but we realized the need for a specific focus on senior pastors,” she said. “With the enhanced levels of pressure falling on church pastors, especially in recent days, we want to make it even easier for pastors to engage with the various resources provided by TAB Media.
“The more I learned about Dave’s heart for helping other pastors and witnessed his own personal journey in discovering how TAB Media really can be a helpful partner for all aspects of life, especially for those involved in church life, I knew he would be a great fit for helping us serve pastors.”
To sign up for the Pastor Connections e-newsletter, email your name, church and email address to dwalsh@thealabamabaptist.org.
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