Pastor's Blog

The Friendship family was blessed with a very special day in our services yesterday.  Three public decisions (two professions of faith and one for baptism) in our morning service.  A nice job by Jeanette and our adult choir in the evening service.  Just a really good day all around.  Thank you Jesus!

We have soccer games tonight, tomorrow night and Thursday night this week.  Nothing on Saturday.  Saturday league play resumes on 4/11.

The Friendship family will gather this Wednesday, 4/1, at 6:30PM in the auditorium to observe the Lord’s Supper.  No other services/classes that day.  Please come join us as we remember Jesus and His sacrifice for us.

Easter Saturday will see our Preschool and Children’s Departments having classes and services at our regular Sunday times.  Our buses will run their usual routes at the normal times.

Easter Sunday will see us have two morning services – 8:00AM and 10:00AM.  Evangelist Johnny Tucker will be our guest messenger.  Join me in praying for a packed house both services.

Easter Sunday will also see us receive a special offering for John & Alaina Peacock.  I am praying for a miracle offering this Sunday and for a miracle healing in John’s body.  Will you join me in that prayer?  Pray fervently and give generously as the Lord leads.  I can tell you that, after meeting with John & Alaina yesterday afternoon, our deacons and staff are all in on helping this family during this challenging time.

I failed!  My goal was to have the “meal train” filled through May by yesterday.  We still have three dates open – May 26, 28 & 30.  Can you help fill these dates before March 2026 ends?  Contact Daphne or me.  By the way, you can try to top them but the two highlight dates when it comes to the meal train are April 11 and May 23 – not even close.  I have the advantage as I know Lauderdale County folks so it really is not fair to the others on the meal train!  Just saying!

Spoke to Lisa via the phone yesterday and all is well at camp.  She is enjoying her time with the children.  I had forgotten she was gone until AZ reminded me yesterday morning.  Just hope I remember to get her from the airport this Thursday!  Which airport?

I plan to drive to Hartselle today to visit with Mama.  It will be a short visit but I figure a short visit is better than no visit. (I remain her fifth favorite child)  Thank you for the prayers and words of encouragement.  I am blessed!

Pray for me as I travel today and for the soccer ministry tonight.

I pray you will have a great Monday with Jesus.

Soccer begins week two this morning at 9:00AM.  I am praying for safety for the players, a great spirit among everyone, and a record breaking concession stand sales!  If you come to soccer, purchase items from the concession stand.  If you do not do soccer (I feel you), then come purchase a combo meal (hamburger, hot dog, Conecuh sausage dog plus fries and a drink for only five dollars) which is the best deal in Alabama.  Or a Conecuh biscuit for breakfast?  All proceeds to Guatemala ministry opportunities for our June team and the John Peacock family.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation and support!

Speaking of support, our students who will be attending camp this Summer need your support tomorrow when it comes to lunch.  They will be supplying “to go” pulled pork sandwiches immediately following our morning service.  Sandwich, bag of chips, a cookie and a soft drink for eight dollars.  All proceeds will go to the overall cost of camp.

Adult choir musical presentation tomorrow beginning at 5:00PM.  I appreciate Jeanette Bates leading this ministry.  Come worship with us!

Baptism will also be part of our evening worship.  Next to last time we will use our present baptistry.  The last time will be Easter Sunday morning following our second service.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning.  I have had some regulars tell me they will not be present for various reasons.  (Like the two who are on their annual racing get away!) So, I am in hopes that everyone else in town will be present for our service – let’s go SRO in the auditorium.

We are almost there when it comes to the meal train for the Peacock family.  The last half of March has been good, April is filled and now we only have four suppers to be taken in order to fill May’s calendar.  Why not sign up today?  daphnehutto@gmail.com or (251) 533 4595.  Why wait?  Do it right now!  We even had three Pentecostals families join the train yesterday.  How about that!  Great folks and I appreciate their support.  Do not let a Pentecostal outdo you on this one!  Who is my neighbor?

Briefly spoke to Lisa at 2:00AM (our time) this morning (was on my lunch break).  She was pumped as the kids are at camp and all is well.  I am excited for her and the team there.  Now she is sending me pictures – great (eyes rolling!).

Pray for Bro. Abel, Bro. Jacob and Sister Jeanette as they lead the respective ministries on our campus over the next two days.  Pray for Bibbi as she prepares to launch her musical solo ministry Monday night.  You will soon be able to say, “I knew her before she made it big!”

I pray that you will have a great Saturday with Jesus.

Miss Bonnie’s surgery has been postponed.  Keep praying!

As far as I know, Jeanette still has not heard from her tests.  (I did share some sad news with her yesterday)

Cakes/pies for the USA BCM auction should be brought to our Preschool Building by noon today.  It is open.  (Miss Vinnie, I will come to your house at some point this morning to get your cake)

Mission of Hope service tonight beginning at 7:00PM.  Jeff Holifield preaching.  Lexie Whitehurst singing.  All invited to attend.

Soccer tomorrow beginning at 9:00AM.  Pray for this ministry and for Bro. Abel as he leads it.  Support missions and ministry by purchasing food from the concession stand.

Adult choir Easter musical this Sunday beginning at 5:00PM.  Pray and come worship with us.

Baptism this Sunday evening immediately following the musical.  Candidates, come prepared.

McKemie Place service Monday, 3/30.  Joey Bosarge preaching.  Bibbi Bosarge singing.  All invited to attend.

Regular schedule this Sunday morning – Sunday School begins at 9:00AM.  Worship service begins at 10:00AM.

Presently, we have the following dates open in May for the Peacock meal train – 9, 14, 16, 21, 26, 28 & 30.  I know that one of those dates has been taken but not sure which one.  Friendship family, thank you.  Let’s finish filling out the month of May by this Sunday.  Pam, Amberly, Leslee, Angie – get busy!  (FYI, Fruit Loops is not an acceptable supper for the Peacocks!)

Talked to Lisa earlier today.  All is well there.

The yard is calling my name today.  The cake auction is doing the same for tonight.  Honestly, I do not think Alabama has the size to hang with Michigan tonight but that is why they play the games.  Upsets do happen!

I pray that you will have a great Friday with Jesus.

Word came to me just a bit ago sharing that Miss Bonnie’s surgery scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed for around three weeks.  Keep praying for Miss Bonnie.  Thank you!

I am thankful for another good day in our services yesterday.  God is good!

The visitation with the Sylvia Hesse (Jamie Hatcher’s mother) family takes place today from 11:00AM until the noon service time.  The visitation and service will take place from the O’Bryant-O’Keefe Funeral Home in Pascagoula, MS.  Pray for the Hesse family.

Miss Bonnie Smyly will have hip replacement surgery tomorrow morning.  Pray all goes well.

I am asking the nine ladies who are baking for he USA BCM cake auction to have their items in the Preschool Building no later than noon tomorrow, 3/27.  It will be unlocked beginning at 5:00AM.  Thank you to each lady who is helping with this mission project.

Mission of Hope tomorrow night, 3/27, beginning at 7:00PM.  Jeff Holifield will be preaching and Lexie Whitehurst will be singing.  Everyone invited to attend.  Pray for this ministry.

McKemie Place ministry on Monday night, 3/30.  Joey Bosarge will be preaching and Bibbi Bosarge will be singing.  Pray for this ministry.

Soccer this Saturday, 3/28, beginning at 9:00AM.  Come support this ministry and help us have a complete “sell out” in the concession stand.  Remember, combo meals for five dollars.  Best price in the state!

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday, 3/29.  Adult choir musical and baptism in the evening service beginning at 5:00PM.  Special offering for John & Alaina Peacock in both services Sunday.

It seems we have hit the proverbial brick wall in our sign up for the meal train for the Peacock family.  We need to fill eleven more spots to complete the month of May.  Our focus is the Friendship family but we invite others to join us.  Honestly, Deidra has even taken a meal and she does not live next door.  Friendship family, lets complete the train by this Sunday, 3/29.  Contact Daphne Hutto at daphnehutto@gmail.com or (251) 533 4595.  Al & Cindy Stokes, Derek & Meighan Brown – who is my neighbor?

Lisa and the others on the team have now begun the mission part of their trip.  She has been having a great time.  If folks did not remind me, I would not even realize she is gone!  (Something like that!)

I pray that you will have a great Thursday with Jesus.

The celebration of life service for Clinton Stringfellow takes place today beginning at 2:00PM from the chapel of Serenity Funeral Home.  The visitation will begin at noon.  Pray for the Stringfellow family today.

I will share the details for Miss Sylvia Hesse again in tomorrow’s entry.

Jeanette Bates should get her test results today.  Pray.

Miss Bonnie Smyly will have hip replacement surgery this Friday morning.

John Peacock will have a day filled with therapy sessions, et cetera today.

Keep praying for Cindy Stanford’s father.  No real change.

Regular schedule on our campus today – morning and evening.

Our Wednesday schedule is going to look a bit differently for three weeks beginning next Wednesday, 4/1.  On 4/1 we will have one service which will begin at 6:30PM.  We will observe the Lord’s Supper during that service.

On Wednesday, 4/8, and 4/15 there will be no services.  On 4/8 we will be focused that week on getting the CAB ready for our transition Sunday on 4/12.  On Wednesday, 4/15, our campus will be quiet due to the public schools being on Spring break.  Thank you for being understanding as we work through this time of transition and then back.

Senior adults – our annual Senior Adult Day will take place on Sunday, April 26.  This is  one week earlier than past years.  More details to come.

Our student ministry will have “to go” pulled pork dinners available immediately following the morning service this Sunday, 3/29.  A tent will be set up between the Preschool Building and the CAB.  Eight dollars per plate with a maximum of thirty dollars per immediate family.  Proceeds go toward youth camp.  Thank you in advance for supporting our students.

We need sixteen folks to volunteer to provide a supper for the Peacock family during May.  Our goal is to do three meals per week.  The Friendship family has been very gracious up to this point.  Thank you.  Again, who is my neighbor?  Yes, Lisa and I will take one of those nights.  Will you join us?  Daphnehutto@gmail.com or (251) 533 4595 to sign up.

Soccer this Saturday, 3/28, beginning at 9:00AM.  Great games, great crowd, great concession stand!  Playing with a purpose and eating with a mission!  Pray for this ministry!

I pray that you will have a great Wednesday with Jesus.

I posted the obits for Clinton Stringfellow (tomorrow) and Sylvia Hesse (Thursday).  Pray for these two families as they walk through their respective valleys.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.

Jeanette Bates had a test yesterday.  The results should be available tomorrow.  Pray for Jeanette.  Remember, adult choir musical this Sunday, 3/29, beginning at 5:00PM.

Bonnie Smyly will have hip replacement surgery this Friday.  Pray that all goes well.

Arnold Strahan continues to recover at home.  I hear he is doing well in his recovery.

Keep praying for Miss Betty Hamil.  And Andy too!

Miss Dottie Clark continues to have much pain in her arms and legs.  The nights seem to be the worse time for her.  Join me in praying for Miss Dottie and Dr. Mike.

Continue to pray for John Peacock as he does therapy.  Pray for Alaina as well.  By the way, the meal train has now been extended into May.  Our goal is three suppers per week.  Contact Daphne at daphnehutto@gmail.com or (251) 533 4595 to get on the train.  You may say, “I do not know the Peacocks.”  The Samaritan did not know the Jew who was badly beaten and left on the side of the road but it did not stop him from ministering.  Who is my neighbor?  My focus is on the Friendship family but the train is open to all others too (Amberly?).  I (we) can help with the delivery if that is problematic for you.  Pam Baker “cooked” a Door Dash gift card while Angie “Fruit Loops” Bentley cooked a Walmart gift card.  As Miss Kittie Camp often said, “many hands make light work!”  Plus, we are better together.

Lisa is having a great time in South Africa.  She sent me pictures of them by the pool yesterday.  They have a couple of days on a safari before beginning the ministry portion of this trip.  (My mind has thought of Larry Crawley like a million times simply because of the location of this trip)

I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus.

Sylvia Virginia Jordan Hesse passed away , Friday, March 20, 2026 at the age of 86.

Sylvia was born on January 16, 1940 in Kosciusko, MS. to Bart and Virginia Jordan. She was a longtime resident of Gautier, MS and member of the First United Methodist Church of Gautier. She worked for many years as a legal secretary. She loved Fox News, gardening, reading and cross-stitching and needle point. She was passionate about her yard and flowers, spending hours to nurture and enjoy their beauty. She and her husband Ralph, enjoyed traveling and seeing the world until his passing in 1997. But she did not allow that to stop her from traveling, she along with her many friends continued the tradition, cruising and experiencing the world.

In addition to her parents and husband Ralph Hesse she was preceeded in death by two great grandchildren.

She is survived by four children; Jamie White Hatcher (Chuck), Virginia Diane Stone (Timothy), James William White V, and Michael Jordan White Jr. (Katina); siblings, Barbara Jordan Walker and Joan Jordan Lacey (Dr. Robert Ray); grandchildren, Michelle Smith (John), Nicole Arwood, Aaron James Castellanos, Russell Shawn Bosarge Jr., Jennifer Henry (Donovan), Justin Bosarge (Chynna), Logan L. Stone, Hayden William White, Avery Madison White, Michael Jordan White Jr. Chandler Anderson White, and Coltyn Anderson White; 14 great grandchildren and numerous other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be Thursday, March 26, at O’Bryant-O’Keefe Funeral Home in Pascagoula from 11 am til 12 pm. The Funeral Service will follow in the Chapel at noon. Interment will conclude at Crestlawn Memorial Park.

Clinton Lamar Stringfellow, age 70, went to his heavenly home on Saturday, March 21, 2026. He was born on May 17, 1955, to Albert Leo and Mildred Stringfellow.

Clinton was a strong‑willed man with a deep love for the outdoors. He found peace and purpose in the simple rhythms of nature—whether he was out fishing at first light, tending to his farm, or spending quiet mornings in the woods. His days were shaped by hard work, fresh air, and the satisfaction of living close to the land. Those who knew him admired his determination, his independence, and the quiet strength he carried throughout his life.

He is survived by his children, Summer Stringfellow, Autumn (Joe) Hunnings, Maegen (Mike) Conaway, and Caleb Stringfellow and his fiancée, Kristin Nedley; his devoted companion, Debra Inabinett; his grandchildren, Bethany (Chase) Harvison, Gabriella Conaway, Gracleyn Conaway, Gauge Conaway, and Jace Taylor; his great‑grandchildren, Colton and Weston Harvison; his siblings, Dianne Trotti, Rita Boutwell, Charles (Jo Ann) Stringfellow, and Randy (Susan) Stringfellow; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends who will forever cherish his memory.

Those who preceded him in death include his parents, Albert Leo and Mildred Stringfellow, and his sisters, Merle Merritt, Betty Oliver, and Margie Stringfellow Sheffield.

Visitation will be held at Serenity Funeral Home on Wednesday, March 25th from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with funeral services beginning at 2:00 p.m. Graveside service at Serenity Memorial Gardens will follow immediately afterward.

Clinton will be remembered for his unwavering spirit, his love of the outdoors, and the steady, dependable presence he brought to everyone around him. His memory will live on in the stories shared, the land he cared for, and the hearts of all who loved him.

Well, another great Sunday of being blessed by the Lord in our services.  One profession of faith in the morning service and then I had the privilege of leading a young lady to Jesus immediately following the service.  He gives the increase and we give Him the glory.

The Roberson Trio/family was a blessing in our evening service.  The only downer was that Tim & Peggy did not join them for a song or two.  Good night of ministry and you gave a really good offering ($1,700) to this family.  Praise the Lord!

Bro. Abel led tw0 great meetings – one before and one after the evening service.  VBS first meeting and looking toward 4/12 and the changes in the second one.  I appreciate Bro. Abel’s leadership in these areas.  (Asking for a friend – if someone if going to help “direct” VBS should they be in the Wednesday night services?  Myrtle always was!)

Jamie Hatcher’s mother, Miss Sylvia Hesse, passed from this life last Friday, 3/20.  The visitation will take place this Thursday, 3/26, from 11:00AM until the noon service time.  Both will take place at the O’Bryant-O’Keefe Funeral Home in Pascagoula, MS.  Pray for the Hesse family during this time.

Clinton Stringfellow passed from this life early Saturday morning, 3/21.  The visitation will take place this Wednesday, 3/25, from noon until the 2:00PM service time.  Both at Serenity Funeral Home in Theodore, AL.  Pray for the Stringfellow family.

Mike Clark (Casa Aleluya) sent me a message yesterday asking us to pray for Miss Dottie.  She has been having some tough days.

The landscaping on our campus looks really good.  Thank you to Gary & Rachel Walton for a job well done in coordinating this effort.  Special thanks to each person who answered the “all hands on deck” call not once, but twice, last week.  Great group of guys!  Also, the new hand rails in front of the adult Christian education building look nice and will serve a great purpose.  The new rails leading up the ramp into the CAB may be put in place this week.  Thanks to those leading these efforts.

I am told that our first day of soccer was a huge success.  Praise the Lord!  Bro. Abel can flat out run a sports ministry.  I am also told that our concession stand was wide open all day!  Thank you for supporting missions and the Peacock family.  Same schedule this Saturday, 3/28.

The meal train for the Peacock family is now moving into May.  Want to help?  Contact Daphne (daphnehutto@gmail.com) (215) 533 4595.  Thank you to those who have helped already and to those who will help in the days ahead.

Our adult choir will present their Easter musical this Sunday in our 5:00PM service.  Pray and attend.

Lisa arrived safe and sound in South Africa yesterday afternoon around 1:00PM our time (8:00PM in South Africa).  She called and was a tired, but happy, camper.  Thank you for praying.

I pray that you will have a great Monday with Jesus.