Pastor's Blog

Short and sweet this morning.  First, sorry for no entries the past two days.  The deep well pump on GRACE Mountain died Wednesday night so Thursday morning was spent making arrangements to get temporary water, get a new pump purchased, installed, et cetera.  Major cost to GRACE Ministries but God is faithful and we praise Him.  (If I owned a plumbing company in Michigan then I would donate the needed materials and fly down to take care of the removal and install.  Just saying!)

Thursday afternoon and Friday morning were basically family times for us.  We went off the mountain.  Deidra and I had some time to talk while I also enjoyed time with the girls.  Flew into ATL and then drove home getting to the house around 12:15AM today (Saturday).

Gary Walton was discharged from the hospital Thursday afternoon and went straight to work.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I spoke to him yesterday afternoon – he was at work!  Work is Gary’s middle name!  Keep praying!

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow – morning and evening.  Brief prayer time in the auditorium beginning promptly at 8:30AM.  Out by 8:45AM for Sunday School.  Worship in the CAB.

Senior adults, it will be helpful if you can sign up for our special meal set for next Sunday, 4/26, as we honor God by recognizing our senior saints.  Sign up is not an absolute but it will be a great help as we make preparations.

I appreciate Scott Fontenot and John Milton Ladnier for tending to my garden while I have been away.  Wow, what a blessing!

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

NO services, classes, et cetera on our campus today.  Pass the word.

The Refresh project work continues.  Remember, we will meet in the auditorium at 8:30AM this Sunday, 4/19, for a time of prayer with Jeff Holifield verbalizing that prayer for us.  Out by 8:45AM in order to go to Sunday School.

Rachel Walton’s eye surgery went well yesterday.  Thank you for praying.

Gary Walton seems to be in a state of limbo.  I spoke to Rachel this morning and nothing has really changed.  Bro. Abel visited with Gary yesterday.  Keep praying.

Speaking of Bro. Abel, he is driving to Texas today to visit with his Mama and other family members.  Pray for traveling mercies and a great time with family.

Bro. Jacob and our deacons are in place in the event they are needed.

I will get to spend several hours with Dr. Mike Clark today and then I will be preaching at Iglesia JET tonight.  Pray for these services to go well.

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

Good morning from GRACE Mountain.  The Lord blessed me with an uneventful day of traveling yesterday and I am thankful.

Gary Walton remains hospitalized and that may remain true for several more days.  Gary & Rachel need our prayer support.  As a matter of fact, Rachel is having eye surgery this morning so pray for that to go well.

Our campus will be silent tomorrow as we will have no services, classes, et cetera.  This Sunday, 4/19, we will be on a regular schedule.  Prayer time in the auditorium beginning promptly at 8:30AM with Jeff Holifield verbalizing our prayer.

Pray for the refresh project this week.

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

Mama always said, “better late than never!”  Not sure if that is always true but this entry is late.  My apologies.  No excuses.

Gary Walton remains in the hospital and in need of our continued prayer support.  Not sure what is next but I do ask that you pray for Gary & Rachel.  (Kevin Sprinkle told me himself that he rubbed one of Gary’s legs on Saturday.  Did that help?  Last time I checked Kevin is neither a doctor, nurse or therapist!)

Our transition Sunday went well.  Good attendance even though is was the first weekend of Spring break week.  Excellent spirit in the morning service.  I am told that Bro. Abel did a very nice job of preaching in the evening service.  I appreciate Bro. Abel in so many ways.  What a great associate pastor he is!

Friendship family, NO service, classes, et cetera on our campus this Wednesday, 4/15.  Please pass the word!

Our time of prayer in the auditorium on Sunday morning was good.  Thank you to those who participated.  Remember, if at all possible, I begin things on time.  We will do it again this Sunday, 4/19, beginning at 8:30AM and finished by 8:45AM.  I am going to ask Jeff Holifield to voice the prayer this Sunday.  Come join us as we celebrate what God is doing through our Refresh project.

We will have our Senior Adult Day on Sunday morning, April 26, beginning at 10:00AM.  A catered meal will be provided immediately following the service for all of our senior adults in attendance.  Sign up will take place this Sunday, 4/19.

Also, on Sunday, April 26, we have been invited to join the folks at Grand Bay Ministries for a special service of singing beginning at 5:00PM.  (Yes, I have asked Al Stokes to please not sing!).  This will involve folks from GBM, the Friendship family and perhaps others.  An offering will be received to help with the ministry expenses for our June GRACE Ministries mission trip to Guatemala.  Some folks from Grand Bay Ministries will be taking part in that trip and this is one way they are helping fund the ministry portion.

Pastor, where are you?  Well, right now I am about thirty-seven thousand feet above the earth on a plane heading to Guatemala.  I left from Atlanta this morning.  Why Atlanta?  I can give you around six hundred reasons!  I made the choice to leave yesterday afternoon so as to not have to drive through the night or to fight the morning rush hour traffic in Atlanta.  Lord willing, I will return home this Friday,  I am honoring an invitation extended to me by Pastor Adan’s wife, Miss Corie, to come preach on behalf of their women’s ministry.  (By the way, my brother, Eddie, and his wife, Sue, provide funding for the women’s and men’s respective ministries at Iglesia JET.  I am grateful to them).

Thank you to those who continue the meal train for John & Alaina Peacock.  Good stuff!  They are grateful and so am I!

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

Gary Walton contacted me yesterday to share that he has been sick again for the past three days and his temperature was 106.6.  Yes, you read that number correctly.  Rachel was taking him to an Urgent Care in hopes of getting him admitted to a hospital.  As of the time of this writing, that is all I know.  Please join me in praying fervently for Gary & Rachel.

The gentleman who had the heart surgery on Tuesday is doing well.  May be discharged this weekend.  Thank you for praying.

Another person who is connected to someone from our church is having heart surgery today.  Pray all goes well.

I am asking those who desire to do so to meet me in the auditorium this Sunday morning, 4/12, at 8:30AM for fifteen minutes of prayer.  We will dismiss from there to Sunday School.

This is our transition Sunday.  Some of our adult classes will be changing locations.  The auditorium class will meet in the youth building.  Our 10:00AM and 5:00PM worship services will take place in the CAB.  I am asking that the area between the CAB and the Preschool Building be reserved for those in wheelchairs so they will be close to the ramp.

I appreciate Bro. Abel and everyone else who has worked diligently this week to get things ready for this transition Sunday.  Thank you!

Soccer leagues resume play tomorrow morning, 4/11, beginning at 9:00AM.  Want to financially support the ministry portion of our June GRACE Ministries trip to Guatemala while also helping John & Alaina Peacock?  Great!  Come to the soccer concession stand.  You cannot beat the five dollar combo meals!  The best part is that you do not have to watch the soccer games!

Speaking of soccer, Nora and team won their championship Wednesday afternoon.  Congratulations!  I watched that game and then later that evening went into the CAB and watched some paint dry.  No difference!

By the way, I appreciate how the members (players, coaches, spectators) of the Friendship family are going to set the standard this Saturday when it comes to being Christlike in our actions, words, attitudes, et cetera.  Good stuff!

John Milton Ladnier and Scott Fontenot replanted seventy-five percent of my garden yesterday.  How nice is that!  I am very grateful to these two brothers in Christ for their kindnesses to me.  Stacey Dyess will come later to hoe my garden for me!

Blake Jenkins came yesterday and serviced my mower.  Am I blessed or what!

Daphne has taken to gardening and her garden is killing mine!  I did not think she had taken notice for all of these years but WOW!

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

Friendship family, I am calling on our staff, deacons, other church leaders and anyone interested to join me in the auditorium this Sunday morning, 4/12, at 8:30AM for a brief time of corporate prayer.  We will finish by 8:45AM so everyone can move their SS class.  We are going to pray God’s blessings on the work that has been done and will be done in refreshing the auditorium.  Yes, watch your step, do not touch anything, et cetera.  Parents are welcome have their children accompany them but the children must remain with their parents at all times.  Enter/exit through the West side door.  Pass the word!

Well, I pretty much knew it would happen.  We had at least two folks show up for the church service last night.  How often have I talked about women?  I do appreciate the desire to be in a church service.

So, now is a great time to remind everyone that we also will NOT have any services, classes, et cetera next Wednesday, 4/15.  Please pass the word!

I am very thankful to the men and women who are working to get the CAB ready for this Sunday’s services.

I am copying and pasting what Bro. Abel sent out to our teachers and leaders yesterday.  We all need to read it and then practice it this Sunday and every Sunday:

The Refresh Project is well underway—and it is going AMAZING! I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about what God is doing in this season. I 💯 believe with all my heart that this is not just a renovation… this is preparation for God to take Friendship to new levels of outreach, impact, and ministry!

Yes, the auditorium may look different… but hear me clearly—

the same BIBLE-centered, Jesus-exalting, Spirit-filled preaching will NEVER change!

As we step into this Sunday’s transition, I need EVERY teacher, EVERY leader, ALL HANDS ON DECK!

We must be ready in every area:

➡️ Classes prepared

➡️ Guests welcomed with joy

➡️ Parking handled with excellence

➡️ Hearts ready to SERVE

And let me challenge us in leadership—

“I don’t know” is not what we communicate.

We are problem-solvers. We are servant-leaders.

If you don’t know the answer, you look them in the eye with confidence and say:

👉 “Let me find out for you.”

Because people matter. Souls matter. This moment matters.

These next few weeks are going to be powerful. Lives are going to be touched. Families are going to walk onto our campus who need hope, truth, and Jesus—and WE get to be part of that!

So let’s rise to the moment.

Let’s serve with passion.

Let’s lead with purpose.

All for Jesus, Team—LET’S GO!

Friendship family, there will be NO services, classes, et cetera on our campus today, Wednesday, 4/8/26, due to the Refresh project.  This simply means that some of our folks, led by Bro. Abel, are working to get the CAB prepared to host our Sunday services and having services in the CAB today would hinder this process.  Thank you for understanding.

YES, we will have services this Sunday, 4/12, at 10:00AM & 5:00PM.  These services will take place in the CAB.  This will be a transitional Sunday for the Friendship family.  The auditorium class will move to the youth building for Sunday School.  The 60-69 year old class will move to the adult education building.  The 30-39 year old class will move to a different room in the same building.  Children’s church will meet in the youth building until the Refresh project is complete.  Other than these changes everything remains the same!

It has been advertised through some social media that our students would be hosting a “to go” meal this Sunday, 4/12.  I have asked Bro. Jacob to postpone that until Sunday, May 17.  This change is completely on me and is not on Bro. Jacob at all.  The details pertaining to this meal will be outlined in greater detail in the weeks ahead.  I apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for understanding.  Wait, let’s blame this postponement on the deacons!  Eddie Albritton in particular!

We have had some folks show up big time to get things ready for the Refresh project.  A very special thank you to each of them!  The Friendship family is blessed with some awesome members.

I have had two families give checks to me this week for John & Alaina Peacock.  Yes, we reached our offering goal this past Sunday.  However, if you want to give then just designate it through the church offering or give it to me.  Everything given will go directly to them.  Also, the meal train has been completely filled through May.  How about that!  Thank you!

The unnamed person who had heart surgery yesterday did well.  Thank you for praying.

Soccer games this Saturday, 4/11, beginning at 9:00AM.  Pray for this ministry.  Pray for Bro. Abel.  I do ask the members of the Friendship family to set the Christlike example each game when it comes to cheering for the players, respecting the game officials, et cetera.  I appreciate those who do this.  We want God to be glorified in all we do and I thank you for making this happen.

Have I ever mentioned our soccer concession stand?  (Asking for a friend!)

The jet lag has worked on Lisa since her return but I think she is almost completely over it.  Honestly, I think the emotional impact of being at home with me again has just overwhelmed her – something like that!

Our granddaughter, Nora, and her teammates play for the Mobile County middle school soccer championship this afternoon.  Since we are not having church services tonight I have no reason to not attend.  Is this my punishment for agreeing to not have services?  Or am I just lucky?  Watching middle school girl’s soccer at Ladd Stadium – does it get any better?

BJB, the card is coming!  Just saying!

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

Important – no services, classes, et cetera tomorrow, April 8 or the following Wednesday, April 15.  Please pass the word!

Our Sunday services (10:00AM & 5:00PM) will take place in the CAB for the next few weeks.  We will keep you informed in a timely manner as to the progress.  Henry Wyse has done a great of coordinating all of this.  Bro. Abel has been in charge of the transition.  Thank you, brothers!

I have a friend (I use that term very loosely) whose father is having heart surgery this morning.  I ask you to join me in praying for a successful surgery.

Keep praying for Veronica Hatcher.  Ditto for Missionary Mark Mast.  Gary Walton worked yesterday – imagine that!

It has now been confirmed that the special offering for John & Alaina did reach the goal of almost seven thousand dollars.  Praise the Lord!  They are very, very thankful!  Thank you Friendship family for giving to the Lord!

Also, the meal train is now complete through May, 2026.  Thank you to each person on the train!  Again, thanks to Daphne for coordinating all of this.

Our Senior Adult Day will be Sunday, April 26, during our 10:00AM service.  More details to come!

Soccer resumes this Saturday, 4/11, beginning at 9:00AM.  Yes, the concession stand will be open.  Come support our soccer ministry and also help our June mission trip ministry and the Peacock family.

Vacation Bible School will be June 1 – 5 from 9:00AM until noon daily.  Pray for this week of ministry.

GRACE Mission trip to Guatemala in June and youth camp in July.  Pray for these happenings.

In closing, let me say “congratulations” to all of my Michigan friends who are fans of the Wolverines.  I am happy for all of my Michigan friends who are happy campers this morning.  Money well spent!  Just saying!

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

Glory to God!  What an awesome Resurrection Sunday the Friendship family was blessed with yesterday!  The attendance was very strong (almost SRO in the second service), the Spirit was excellent, and Bro. Johnny did a superb job of preaching the Word.  If for no one else, the Lord had someone in place whose heart was touched by the message yesterday morning.  Thank you Bro. Johnny for being faithful to preach the Word.

I may be wrong with my numbers but I “think” I am correct in saying that we had ten folks follow the Lord in believer’s baptism yesterday as a part of our second service.  It was an honor having Carl Camp stand in the baptistry with me during the baptisms as his dad, Pastor L.G. Camp, Jr, was the first one to baptize in that baptismal pool.  It was also special to have Johnny Five be the last person baptized in that baptistry as Johnny is the great grandson of Mr. Martin Henry Brinkman, Sr.  Friendship Baptist Church was founded on Mr. Brinkman’s front porch.  By the way, Pastor L.G. Camp was driving to preach for Bro. Johnny Tucker when he was involved in the accident that would eventually be the cause of his passing from this life.  Small world!

The most special part of the baptismal service for me personally was baptizing one of my granddaughters, Nora Hutto.  I am thankful for the privilege.

The auditorium is a beehive of activity this morning with folks removing pews and men doing prep work for the actual refresh work to begin.  I am thankful to Henry Wyse for coordinating this effort.

It was good to see Gary Walton in our first service yesterday.  He did not feel well but he as present.  This morning he is back at work!  Amazing!

Veronica Hatcher is having health issues and needs our prayers.

Missionary Mark Mast has an eye infection.  He is in with the doctor this morning.  Pray for complete healing.

Friendship family, NO services on our campus for the next two Wednesdays.  Pass the word!

We will meet in the CAB for worship on Sundays for the next few weeks.  Worship times at 10:00AM & 5:00PM.  Praying for amazing services.  Come join us!

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