Who’s responsible for random acts of kindness?

Who’s responsible for random acts of kindness?

The following is a dramatization of a case drawn from the actual files of the Alabama Baptist State Convention at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham:
   
(Dum-da-dum-dum.) It was Nov. 19, just after 7 p.m. Detective Joe Thursday and his partner Frank Cannon were working the evening shift out of the ministries division. Somebody was committing random acts of ministry, and they were out to crack the case.
   
As they traveled around the city speaking with victim after victim, they heard shocking tales of literacy assistance, outreach in multihousing communities, parents praying for schools and church planting. It became increasingly clear that this wasn’t your average culprit and that catching him was going to be tricky.
   
“Just the facts, Ma’am,” Thursday was forced to repeat again and again, becoming more and more overwhelmed with the abundance of evidence. But finally, he hit on the common thread: All the victims had opened new doors — and they had all mentioned Baptists.

With a corny but hilarious takeoff on the old “Dragnet” TV series, the Word Players of Samford University stole the show during the presentation of the convention theme, Opening New Doors with “Alabama Baptist Dragnet.” The script was written by Doug Rogers and presented in conjunction with the office of communication services of the Alabama State Board of Missions (SBOM).
   
The drama emphasized, with typical deadpan “Dragnet” fashion, the SBOM’s new three-pronged approach to missions and ministries for individuals, churches and associations: new ministries, new partnership and new levels of support.
   
Preceding the drama was a hilarious commercial-style video presentation starring members of the SBOM staff. Featuring a brainstorming group trying to formulate a ministry plan, the video highlighted the Cooperative Program as a potential resource for new ministries.
   
In keeping with the TV-takeoff order of the evening, Ron Madison, director of the state office of associational and cooperative missions, appeared in the video sporting an oversized yellow duckbill and down feathers in his portrayal of a duck, not unlike the talking duck of insurance company fame. Instead of the name of an insurance company, however, Madison was obliged to honk “CP” in his best  duck voice imitation. As is the usual fate of his insurance counterpart, the Madison duck suffered an undignified pratfall, being knocked off his feet with — yes — an opening door.
   
Wrapping up the theme presentation on a serious note, Madison addressed the challenge of going through every open door to share the gospel in the state of Alabama and then taking those who are won to Christ to the level of discipleship.
   
“God has placed before us open doors that no one can shut,” he said. “Will we, in obedience to the Great Commission, go through those open doors?”
   
“God likes new,” Madison continued, pointing out that God gave new names and a new song, made all things new, and in the case of Alabama Baptists, opens new doors. “We don’t have to live in the same old places,” he said.
   
Madison encouraged convention messengers to pray for the vision, passion and heart like God’s to go through those new doors of ministry for the cause of Jesus Christ.
   
Thursday finally concluded: “It’s pretty obvious that Alabama Baptists were behind these random acts.” Case closed.
   
Or is it? Will art imitate life? Will Alabama Baptists become guilty of committing random acts of ministry? That, according to Madison, is a matter of commitment, prayer and positive action on the part of individuals, churches and associations across the state.