Southern Baptists made their presence known in St. Louis, Mo., several days before the June 11–12 annual meeting with the traditional Crossover evangelistic events.
And when Alabama Baptists think of Crossover, they think of Dick Thomassian and his team of volunteers from Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville.
Thomassian, minister of missions at Whitesburg, took 24 church members and led five of the approximately 45 block parties held around St. Louis June 7–9. The Whitesburg team also participated in a local church service June 9.
Sixty-three salvations were registered during the three days the Huntsville team evangelized the streets of St. Louis. These 66 were among more than 1,800 professions of faith that had been reported by churches and volunteers as of June 11.
Hundreds of volunteers from across the country joined 80 local churches for the annual event, which also included community surveys, inner-city evangelism, street evangelism, encounters on college campuses, giveaways of free water in Christ’s name, a ministry to exotic dancers and other efforts.
Another 280 student volunteers were also participating in a Frontliners evangelistic effort June 8–12 in nearby O’Fallon, Ill.
“I think overall it’s been absolutely great,” said Doyle Echols, local coordinator for Crossover and director of volunteer missions for the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association. “I’m positive it will affect our small inner-city churches especially — and even in the outlying areas — because it will give them the encouragement they needed. To me it’s the best thing that’s happened in many, many years.”
After three decades of leading and participating in evangelistic block parties, one might think Thomassian would tire of the effort. But that is not the case, he said.
“The thing that drives me is that we don’t know how much time we have left in God’s economy,” Thomassian said. “I believe God is about to take over this world. I am a student of the Middle East. I have lived there and have served as a missionary there,” he explained. Noting that whatever needs to be said to the world should be said now, Thomassian said, “There will be plenty of time to rest when we get to glory.”
Former Alabama Baptist Bob Williamson, minister of music at Tower Grove Baptist Church, St. Louis, hosted one of the Whitesburg block parties.
“We do block parties on a regular basis and have seen many come to Christ,” said Williamson, who served as associate minister of music under Thomassian at Whitesburg 1984–1993.
“It was great to have [the Whitesburg team] with us,” Williamson said as he greeted guests on the hot, balmy Saturday afternoon at the corner of Federer and Ray.
And, just as the Whitesburg team followed its well-rehearsed script, other block party teams across the city shared the gospel through puppets, music, skits and the spoken word.
Share with others: