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The Alabama Baptist Toll free 1-800-803-5201 Vol. 184, No. 2 www.thealabamabaptist.org January 10, 2019 Informing. Inspiring. Connecting. Local believers in Gonzol, Ecuador, lead worship during a INSIDE joint service with missions volunteers from FBC Springville. A look at mass incarceration in Alabama — fi fth in a series Pages 6–7 Church at South- side gathers home- less as congrega- tion in downtown Birmingham Never Page 8 too old Photos by Joe Whitten ‘A missions trip changed my life,’ says FBC Springville member By Joe Whitten the gods they worshipped. First Baptist Church, Spring- Ecuador. His eyes lit up as Special to The Alabama Baptist That pagan altar caused me ville. Some members had just he told how Christ had been fter my wife to think of missions. returned from an Ecuador trip, shared and that our church died, I went on two cruises. On In His time and Pastor Chip Thornton told planned to partner with a me about their work with the a 2012 trip, I Back home I talked with our home-church group in Gonzol, New website offers people of the Andes. He men- Ecuador. When he stopped to way for churches, visited the Ma- associational mission strate- groups to post Ayan ruins at Tulum, Mexico. gist, but our county had no tioned that the trip had given get a breath, I said, “I’m 75 project needs, The guide directed our atten- trips planned. I put missions Associate Pastor Andy Waits a years old; am I too old to go?” respond to others’ tion to the temple and to the aside. passion for missions. He said, “Go! It will change requests altar stone where his ancestors However, God has His plan At a church lunch I sat by your life!” Page 12 sacri ced humans to appease and His time. In 2013, I joined Waits and asked him about (See ‘Sign,’ page 2) Listen to the TAB News podcast anywhere To watch the videos from this week’s you get your podcasts such as iTunes and issue, visit our YouTube channel or use the iHeartRadio or visit thealabamabaptist. HP Reveal app on your phone or tablet and hover over the segments marked “AR.” org/explore/podcasts/. PAGE 2 / THE ALABAMA BAPTIST / JANUARY 10, 2019 ‘Sign up and go!’ “If ye continue in My word, then ... ye shall know the truth, and the truth Missions trips are not easy but their eternal impact matters shall make you free.” John 8:31–32 (ISSN 0738-7741; USPS 011-080) (continued from page 1) © The Alabama Baptist, Inc. is published weekly except for one week in So in June 2014 I went. July and December by The Alabama Baptist, Inc., at 3310 Independence Drive, Birmingham, The flight went well until Miami. AL 35209. Phone: 205-870-4720. Statewide phone: 1-800-803-5201. Fax: 205-879-6026. We had lined up to board the plane Website: www.thealabamabaptist.org to Quito when crashing thunder and Email: [email protected] or [email protected] lightning halted boarding. We waited Periodicals postage paid at Hattiesburg, Miss. in line two hours. When we boarded I hurt all over. PRINT SUBSCRIPTION RATES Group Rate per issue — $13.75 We landed about midnight. South- Individual — $22.25 ern Baptist missionary Al Rodriguez DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES met us and took us to a hostel. Mis- Group Rate per issue — $8.50 Individual — $14.95 erable hours followed. Smoke detec- tors went off. Dogs barked. Roosters JENNIFER DAVIS RASH crowed. I lay thinking, “Joe, you EDITOR-IN-CHIEF should have acted your age and Cynthia Watts Janet Erwin stayed home.” Executive Assistant Executive Editor But daylight brightens the heart, Photo by Joe Whitten Carrie B. McWhorter Debbie Campbell Content Editor Director of and by the time we were on the van Children at a school in Gonzol, Ecuador, participate in Bible lessons led by a Communications for the eight-hour trip to the hotel in missions team from FBC Springville. Lauren C. Grim Creative Services Bill Gilmore Chunchi, I was cheerful. Manager Director of Sales Along the way, as we marveled Afternoon door-to-door witness- cient trail to a spot overlooking Gon- Jessica Ingram Melanie McKinney Production Manager at the splendor of the Andes, we ing fell through so we decided to do zol. We prayed for the town and for Advertising Manager Grace Thornton Pam Holt reviewed our plans: morning Bible more Bible school after school. We the believers to share Christ with the Special Sales school for children, afternoon work checked supplies, saw it would work villagers. Assignments Editor Representative witnessing to adults and evening and prayed God’s blessing. I could see the home where the Hannah Muñoz Susan Stevens Digital Editor Sales worship service. We expected maybe 35 children, church met, the school and the Representative James Hammack Our first day in Gonzol the Chris- but they kept coming until we had blue dome of the Roman Catholic Digital Services Linda Harrison tian elementary school principal almost 150 who heard the gospel. Church. I scanned the sun-washed Manager Financial Administrator allowed us to conduct Bible school Evening worship exceeded my village remembering that Rodri- Haley Piersol Digital Services Deb Lowery in the courtyard. Teachers brought expectations. Plastic chairs lined guez’s wife said every town and Associate Financial Assistant classes outside and they too heard the walls of the small room. Church village had a patron saint, and that Sarah Gill Richard Maddox the gospel. members greeted us with a smile and Gonzol’s is St. Jude, the saint of Customer Relations Computer Services handshake. They passed out song Amy Hacker Correspondents hopeless cases. I looked at the be- Customer Relations and Interns sheets, a teenage boy adjusted the lievers with us and thought, “Gonzol keyboard and the service began. a hopeless case? Never! God will NEWS SERVICES Rodriguez preached. Afterward Baptist Press (BP), Baptist News Global (BNG), TAB reap a harvest of souls for Himself Religion News Service (RNS), he asked the Ecuadorian believers here.” Forum 18 (F18), Morning Star News (MS). to tell how they came to salvation in So far 12 teams from First, Spring- POSTMASTER AR Jesus Christ. Each gave testimony Send address changes to: ville, have ministered in Gonzol and The Alabama Baptist as Rodriguez translated. When they 3310 Independence Drive built fruitful relationships. In 2017 Birmingham, AL 35209 (augmented reality) finished, we shared how we came to we were allowed into every class- ADDRESS CHANGE Christ. Send old and new addresses, Download the HP Reveal app room in the school, something we and name of church to: 1 from your app store. had long prayed for. Subscription Department Two cultures united 3310 Independence Drive Tap the [ ] icon at the bottom of A holy reverence filled the room. Throughout the years, we have Birmingham, AL 35209 2 the screen. Two languages and two cultures, yet gathered crops, taught Bible study, Allow two weeks. counseled believers, worked with To the best of our knowledge, You will see pulsating dots, brothers and sisters united in wor- all of the ads in The Alabama Baptist represent 3 which indicate the app is searching ship by God’s Holy Spirit. I had nev- children and conducted a funeral. legitimate companies and offerings. However, for a target. Once it finds a target one should always exercise normal business er known such a sweet presence of Our hearts have bonded with the caution in responding to ads. the dots will turn to a bull’s-eye. The bull’s- God in worship before. I remember Gonzol church members. eye will remain until the augmented reality Full member of Alabama Press Association image loads. that evening as a foretaste of heaven. A missions trip changed my life. It The last day we climbed an an- will change yours. Accredited member of Evangelical Look for The Alabama Baptist Council for Financial Accountability 4 (TAB) augmented reality logo (example shown above). Hold your ‘Nation’s Top Regional device over the logo and watch the paper Special TAB sponsorship section come to life. Christian Newspaper’ In memory of my wonderful nephew Doug Cates from Birmingham, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, Each week when TAB arrives, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 Alabama, who passed away in Foley, Alabama, in December 2018. as judged by Associated Church Press, Baptist 5 look for the AR logo to watch the Communicators Association, Evangelical Press video extras through the app. Love, Aunt Sylvia Calfee Lucas Association or Religion Communicators Council JANUARY 10, 2019 / THE ALABAMA BAPTIST / PAGE 3 OPINION By Jennifer Davis Rash MY President and Editor-in-Chief [email protected] RASHIONALE @RashionalThts Collection of special moments creates lasting memories e must increase but I must my Aunt Linda would make and lots of dolls — that’s what visit our grandparents and all of decrease” (John 3:30) — for my brother, cousins and I loved to play with at my Aunt us living in Phil Campbell. All H that’s the Scripture verse me when we spent the night Louise’s house. I also remem- special memories. I’m claiming for 2019. It’s also the at her house. She also would ber getting to ride in my Uncle verse one of my nieces and I read let me help her with whatever Bobby’s antique cars during I can recount similar warm each day during the first week of craft project she was working some visits. childhood moments with almost this new year. on at the time. I’m confident I all my aunts and uncles.