This is the time of year when Alabama Baptists devote special attention to their corporate life of ministry and missions beyond the local church. During October most of Alabama’s 75 Baptist associations gathered for their annual meetings. In November attention turns to the annual meeting of the state Baptist convention.
Associations are the oldest form of Baptist cooperation beyond the local church with the first Baptist association in America being formed in 1707 — Philadelphia Baptist Association.
Alabama Baptist churches helped form their first association in 1814. Although the majority of member churches were from what would later be designated as Madison and Limestone counties, the Flint River Baptist Association was actually formed in Tennessee. The first Baptist association formed on what would become Alabama soil was Beckbe Baptist Association organized in 1816 by churches in Washington and Clarke counties.
These early associations were concerned about Bible teaching and Bible distribution, about local missions efforts, about missions in far-off places like Burma through the work of famed missionaries like Adoniram and Ann Hasseltine Judson and about doctrine among other issues.
These concerns continue today as associations work to strengthen local churches, to share the love of God in ministry and missions at home and around the world and continue to be the safeguard of Baptist doctrine. The local association is the only Baptist body which actually votes to accept cooperating churches and only after assuring that new members share “like faith and order.”
Forming the state convention
By 1823 concern for Baptist work in the 3-year-old state of Alabama resulted in an organizational meeting for the Alabama Baptist State Convention (ABSC). The meeting was held at Salem Church near Greensboro on Oct. 28–29 of that year. Records show messengers contributed $427.42 for missions causes which was evenly divided between domestic and international missions. Fifteen domestic missionaries were appointed to serve in various parts of Alabama for six weeks at a time. They were paid $1 a day as long as funds were available.
Interestingly the messengers also pledged $461.25 toward an Alabama scholarship in the theological seminary of recently opened Columbian College in Washington. Obviously higher education has been a priority of Alabama Baptists from their earliest days.
Almost 200 years later these same concerns for ministry and missions still guide Alabama Baptists. From one college scholarship, Alabama Baptists have grown to three institutions of higher learning — Judson College in Marion, the University of Mobile and Samford University in Birmingham.
From 15 men working up to six weeks a year to an ongoing emphasis on church planting, numerous expressions of Christian social ministries and support for directors of missions in each of the state’s associations, today’s state convention continues that early concern for sharing the good news of the gospel with people in Alabama who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord.
The state convention continues to undergird ministries of local churches, now numbering 3,286 according to the 2014 Alabama Baptist Annual, through training for Bible teachings, Christian discipleship, leadership development, church renewal, evangelism, worship and more.
In 1823, Baptist messengers may not have envisioned the extensive ministries of the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries to help children in emergency situations and strengthen families through a statewide network of Christian counselors. The first messengers may not have foreseen Baptist homes for senior adults dotting the state or the extensive complex called Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center in Talladega which provides Alabama Baptists a wonderful setting for camps, retreats and other special moments with God.
Today ABSC is a far-reaching network of entities, ministries and relationships touching every part and every association in this place so beautiful people describe it as the “place where the stars fell.”
At the same time, Alabama Baptists continue their concern for missions and ministries beyond their borders as did those first messengers gathered at Salem Church in 1823. Alabama Baptists continue to give more dollars to Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) ministries and missions through the Cooperative Program (CP) than any other state convention as well as provide more financial support through CP and special missions offerings than any other state convention.
It is amazing how faithful Alabama Baptists have been to the earliest commitments of ABSC. And it is amazing how God has blessed the work, even expanded the work, of Alabama Baptists.
The men and women appointed by their churches as messengers to the Nov. 17–18 annual meeting at Eastern Shore Baptist Church, Daphne, will continue the responsibility of directing the ministry and missions of the state Baptist convention as they hear reports about our work together, as they select those charged with overseeing the various ministries, as they act on proposals to increase the reach and effectiveness of the work of Alabama Baptists within the kingdom of God and as they share biblical perspectives about selected social and ethical issues facing Alabama.
Not from earthly wisdom, wealth
Such growth in ministry and missions across the years did not happen because of earthly wisdom or material wealth. Alabama is one of the least wealthy states in America. Alabama Baptists depend on God’s leadership as they struggle to establish new ministries as well as to send missionaries across the state and world.
This year’s annual meeting theme, P.R.A.Y., continues that heritage. ABSC President Travis Coleman, pastor of First Baptist Church, Prattville, recently observed that historically most encounters or revelations from God were preceded by prayer.
“I think this year’s theme is providential,” Coleman said. “We need the reminder of prayer and how God wants us to depend on Him.”
Your church needs to be represented at the ABSC annual meeting in Daphne. Perhaps you should be a messenger. Come early for the annual Pastors Conference held Nov. 16 at the same location. Pastors Conference President Greg Pouncey, pastor of First Baptist Church, Tillman’s Corner, in Mobile, has planned an excellent program of inspiration and instruction.
Above all pray for the upcoming annual meeting. Pray that God will guide at every point as Alabama Baptists focus on the corporate issues of doing ministry and missions together beyond the local church.
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