After almost 48 years in pastoral and music ministry, Larry Corder retired Oct. 26.
Corder was 17 years old when he accepted his first role as minister of music for Eastern Hills Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, a missions church of Alberta Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa.
He received a bachelor’s in music education from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in church music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
Following his education Corder served as minister of music and youth at South Highlands Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa; minister of music at First Baptist Church, Frisco, Texas; First Baptist Church, Fort Valley, Ga.; and First Baptist Church, Blakely, Ga. He also served as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Macon, Miss., and Rocky Bayou Baptist Church, Niceville, Fla., before returning to Alberta Baptist, his home church, to serve as pastor in 2004.
After the April 27, 2011, tornadoes destroyed Alberta’s facility, Corder’s goal was “to get the church back into facilities and growing again.” Now that Alberta has a new facility built and has merged with Open Door Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, (see story, page 21) he said the timing was just right to step down from ministry. Corder was “very much involved in trying to lead the church to embrace the merger” and viewed it as a win-win situation.
Some of the sweetest blessings in his ministry, Corder said, were helping grow believers and seeing Christians accept the call to missions.
To thank him for his ministry, the church held a special service Oct. 26 and presented Corder with a love offering and 2015 season tickets to University of Alabama football games. More than 75 members of former churches Corder has served participated in the service.
Corder and his wife, Brenda, have two children, two grandchildren and one more on the way. (Maggie Walsh)
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