March Newsletter
From The Director’s Desk
We had a request for some blankets for those effected by the hurricane in Panama City , late in January. In about 10 days, some of you gathered over 100 blankets and some other supplies. Wilene and I delivered them to St. Andrew’s Baptist Church in Panama City on Saturday , February 2nd. They were happy to get these blankets and other supplies and they wanted us to say a big thank you to all those who gave.
The area has been cleaned up with the debris clean-up but there was a lot of blue traps on many of the buildings. Even the St. Andrew’s Baptist Church is waiting on their roof to be repaired before they can go any farther with their inside repairs because all this work requires licensed contract workers. So
do not forget those who were impacted by these hurricane's last year. There are still many needs and a lot of work that needs to be done, some of which will take months and years to complete. Please keep them in your Prayers.
Will you join me in welcoming our new pastor’s and their families to Washington County.
Bro. Bill Dortch Jr. and family are serving at Wagarville Baptist Church; Bro. John Mills and his family are serving at Fairhope Baptist Church; Bro.Clay Leavell and his family are serving at Springhill Baptist Church; and Bro.Drexel Copeland and his family are serving at St. Stephens Baptist Church. Please keep these in you prayers as they come and join us in serving our Lord and Savior in these communities, to strengthen the congregation in their spiritual life with Jesus and to help us evangelize those in Washington County that needs Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I am excited to work with these pastor’s in Associational work, to help strengthen all of us to stand strong in the Lord as these days we live in bring new challenges that we have never seen before. Again, please keep these and all of our pastor’s in your daily prayers.
One of my great concerns is how can the Association help our pastors since most of you are bi-vocational pastors. Late last year, Dr. Rob Jackson called me from the University of Mobile to discuss some things that would help these bi-vocational pastor’s as they lead the congregation that the Lord has given them. Dr. Rob Jackson, University of Mobile and Dr. Daniel Wilson, State Board of Missions, have come up with a way to help all of our bi-vocational pastor’s and other ministerial staff positions. It is University of Mobile Institute for Global Leadership and they are partnering with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions to offer a certificate program the seeks to equip bi-vocational; pastors to lead his church or ministry to fulfill the Great Commission and engage his Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This will be (4semesters) with each course 8 weeks in length. This will be an on-line course, with professors available to communicate with each student. According to the Alabama State Board of Missions, "about 54% of pastors’ are vocational and if one would count the other various bi-vocational positions it very well be that 90% of Alabama Baptist ministerial staff are bi-vocational.
I will need to know as soon as possible if any pastors are interested so I can arrange a meeting with these men to help you better understand this tool that is available to you!