BIRMINGHAM (TAB) — Alabama Baptist senior adults were the honored guests at the Senior Adult Evangelism Conference on May 5 at Lakeside Baptist Church, Birmingham. An Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM) event, senior adults from across the state gathered to hear several beloved songs by Squire Parsons, who sang along with his son, Samuel. They of course performed “Beulah Land,” a crowd favorite, and other frequently requested songs. Jay Wolf, pastor of First Baptist Church, Montgomery, shared a message on being fishers of men. “People want to hear the gospel more than we want to share it,” Wolf reminded participants, referencing 1 Corinthians 9. He encouraged listeners to continue to share the gospel, no matter what age, ability, knowledge or status. Ray Newcomb, pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church, Millington, Tenn., spoke from Philippians 3 and encouraged listeners to forget the past of guilt and grief, focus on the present and Jesus Christ and to press on toward the future prize (the Great Commission). Harper Shannon provided the afternoon message titled “When Jesus Said ‘It Is.'” Sharing from John 8, Shannon, who served as director of the office of evangelism for SBOM from 1985 to 1997, said to remember to look to Scripture for truth. “Often Satan misquotes the meaning of Scripture to us,” Shannon warned. He referenced the Gospel accounts of how Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness and how three times, in different forms of the original language, Jesus responded with “It is written,” referring back to the written Word. Phil Winningham, an associate in the SBOM office of evangelism, closed the event in prayer and reminded the senior adult participants, “You are loved. You are respected. You are needed. You are highly esteemed.”
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Look for a full coverage of the Senior Adult Evangelism Conference in the May 15 issue of The Alabama Baptist.