Pastor's Blog

The Lord blessed us with a good day in our services yesterday.  Praise Jesus!  What a blessing to have Harold & Mary Ann Dueitt officially join the Friendship family yesterday morning.  Great family, great friends.  FYI, Isabella is in charge in that house!  Just saying!

Our children’s choir did a great job sharing the message in song last night.  Thank you to Dede & Ian Tagert for working with these children each week.  What a blessing!

Tim & Peggy Knighten left yesterday heading to M.D. Anderson in Houston, TX for Tim’s annual check up.  Scans today and then consultation with the doctor tomorrow.  Join me in praying for another “all clear” report on Tuesday.

Betty McMann is at home under hospice care.  She is seemingly declining physically but she was awake and alert when I visited her yesterday.  Darrell is a great caregiver to her.  Pray for Betty, Darrell and the family.  (By the way, it was good to have Elizabeth and the kids in our services yesterday)

Yancey Hall was admitted to the hospital Friday night.  I attempted to visit him on Saturday and did so yesterday morning.  He told me that he was going home yesterday and, knowing Yancey, he probably did.  His physical issues are related to his heart.  Pray for Yancey!

Miss Dottie Clark continues to have health issues.  She is at home in Guatemala.  Pray for Miss Dottie and Dr. Mike.

Carla Parker (Clubhouse Guatemala) is battling an aggressive malignancy.  I “think” she will have a MRI with contrast today.  Pray for Carla, Mike and the family.

Word came to me last via Pastor Eddie Burdette that Pastor Terry Rainey is in the hospital with MRSA.  Please pray for Pastor Terry!

I do not have the total of folks who gave and/or pledged to buy shoes for the students at Colegio JET.  I hope Daphne can give me a total today.  Thank you to those who are helping with this effort.  Also, special thanks to Pastor Joe David Bailey for leading this effort.  Pastor Joe is a great friend as well as a great pastor.

As the Friendship family knows already, today marks the thirty-fourth anniversary for me as your pastor.  Wow, where has the time gone?  Deidra was eight years old and Daphne was six years old when I became your pastor.  I am thankful to have served all these years with some of the finest folks on God’s earth.  I am blessed!  Thank you for affording me the privilege of being your pastor and the eleven years before that as a staff member.  Glory to God!

Special thanks to those responsible for the fellowship last night.  Totally unnecessary but truly appreciated.  A special “thank you” for the love offering.  Again, not necessary but appreciated.  I have no idea of the amount given but please know I am grateful for every cent (especially the five dollars from Lee Fore).  Pray for the Lord to give me wisdom in using it to His glory.

I am sitting in the Pensacola airport about to board a plane to Atlanta and then one to Guatemala City.  A very special thank you to Bro. Chris Scofield for brining me to the airport this morning.  Totally above and beyond the call!  Why Bro. Chris?  Eddie Albritton’s rates have gotten way too high!  Just the facts!

Pray for the pastors’ conference in Guatemala this week.  Pastor Doug Chappelle and Pastor Spencer Bell will be preaching.  Two of Pastor Doug’s staff members will be joining him.  Those four guys flew in last night and I look forward to joining them later today.

By the way, I did get to spend some quality time with my Mama on Friday.  Precious memories!

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

You cannot fix stupid!  I am living proof.  Yesterday, I posted about folks registering and being evaluated.  Ok.  The problem is that I did not identify the reason for the registration or evaluation.  Hello!  One of our thirteen readers caught my mistake and simply asked the question that begged to be answered.  Basketball!  Which reader?  Anonymous.  However, here is a hint – Rollie Fingers.

So, flag football in the morning followed by basketball registration/evaluation from 1:00 – 3:00PM (come and go) in the CAB.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning and evening.

Keep praying for Robert Baria.

Also, remember to pray for Maxine Dupont.

If I understand correctly, Carla Parker meets with her surgeon this afternoon.  Keep praying.

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

Welcome to what seems to becoming – the afternoon blog entry!  Sorry!

Bro. Abel asked me to emphasize that the early bird registration and evaluation takes place this Saturday, October 19, from 1:00PM until 3:00PM in our CAB.  You can save fifteen dollars by attending this registration as the fee will be sixty dollars.  After this Saturday, the fee will be seventy-five dollars.  Please note that each player MUST go through the evaluation process.  Planned leagues are K5 – 1st grade; 2nd & 3rd grades; 4th & 5th grades; 6th & 7th grades and 8th & 9th grades.  There must be enough players to fill four teams in each league or that league will not exist.  Practices begin on November 18 and league play begins on Friday, 12/6, & Saturday, 12/7.  Questions?  Need more information?  Contact Bro. Abel.

Word came to me yesterday morning that Maxine Dupont from Texas took a fall last Wednesday, 10/9, breaking both arms.  Her heart went into afib and she had to be shocked.  Surgery cannot be done on her arms due to her heart condition.  So, pray for Maxine, Anthony & Valori.  Maxine is now in the ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital of Harker Heights, Texas.  The address is 750 W Central Texas Expressway  Harker Heights, TX 76548.  Maxine is in room 524.  Join me in praying for Maxine.  One of the absolute finest Christian ladies I have ever known!

Andy Hamil is very concerned about his son-in-law and his battle with dementia.  Pray for Andy’s daughter and her husband.

Keep praying for Robert Baria.

Flag football this Saturday, 10/19, beginning at 8:00AM.  Pray for this ministry!

There will be a meeting this Sunday immediately following our evening service.  This is for all who want to help with our Trail of Truth and Treats which will take place on Sunday, November 3, from 3:00PM until 5:00PM.  We need donations of candy!

Want to bless a student at Colegio JET with a new pair of shoes for Christmas?  You can for only thirty dollars.  More details in our morning service this Sunday.  Others can contact me for more details/information.

I will be taking part in a pastor’s conference in Guatemala this Monday, 10/21, through Thursday, 10/24.  So, not sure about the blog entries those days.  Just FYI.  Pray for the conference.

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

I know, I know, I know, the second entry never got posted yesterday.  My apologies.  No excuses.

So, here it goes – Pastor Joe David Bailey from Danville Baptist Church has taken the lead in getting every student and worker at Colegio JET new shoes for Christmas.  There are over two hundred students and around thirty-four teachers/workers.  The shoes will be purchased in Guatemala at a cost (+/-) of thirty dollars each for the students and seventy-five dollars each for the adults.

Do you want to give toward this worthwhile cause?  If so, you can give online through shininglightabroad.com or at aglimpseofgrace.com.  Or you can make a check payable to either SLAM or GRACE Ministries and mail it to P.O. Box 223 Grand Bay, AL 36541.  All gifts are tax deductible.

For simplicity’s sake, please email Pastor Joe at jdbua@yahoo.com or joe@danvillebaptist.org to let him know you are purchasing a pair (or more) or shoes.  Thank you for giving to the Lord!

Regular schedule on our campus today – morning and evening.

Keep praying for Robert Baria

Also, continue to pray for Miss Dottie Clark and Carla Parker.

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

Hallelujah!  The special offering received this past Sunday for the hurricane relief in North Carolina totaled seven thousand dollars ($7,000).  Praise the Lord!  Thank you for giving to the Lord!

Robert Baria was taken to the ER on Sunday night and diagnosed with pneumonia.  He was sent home to recover.  Pray for Robert & Roseanne.

Received some tough news yesterday morning.  The doctor called Carla Parker (Clubhouse Ministries) to say that her recently found malignancy is a very rare type and that it is very aggressive.  I talked to our daughter, Daphne, about it and she confirmed that this is not a good situation.  “But God!”  Folks, pray for Mike & Carla.

Dottie Clark took another fall and injured her hand.  So much so that it took eleven stitches to close the cut.  When you consider how small Miss Dottie’s hand is, that is a lot of stitches.  Pray for Miss Dottie and Dr. Mike.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow – morning and evening.  Join us!

I am going to write another entry later today offering our thirteen readers the opportunity to be a blessing for Christmas.  Stay tuned!

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

P.S. – Go South!  Beat the Trojans!

Yesterday afternoon around the 3:00PM hour, Bro. Chris Scofield’s mother passed from this life.  He was sitting beside her talking, praying, reading the Bible, et cetera when she passed.  Pray for Bro. Chris and his family during this time.  There will be a memorial service at a time to be determined later.

This Sunday, 10/13, we will receive a love offering to help some of the folks in North Carolina who were impacted by Hurricane Helene a couple of weeks ago.  We will be going through Pastor David Walters and Pastor Eddie Burdette and the New Life Fellowship Church in Anderson, SC.  They are working with a church in the greater Asheville, NC area.  Pray and then give as the Lord leads.  Checks should be made payable to Friendship Baptist Church.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning and evening.  Special Bible study at 3:45PM being facilitated by Bill Kendrick.  Adult choir rehearsal at 4:15PM being led by Miss Jeanette.

There will be a banquet for the Mission of Hope tomorrow afternoon at  The Grounds in Mobile.  Interested in attending or need more information?  Contact Carl Ray or Charlotte Moulds.

We had three men nominated to serve as deacons beginning January 1, 2025.  Since that is the exact number we need then I will share those names in one of our services this Sunday, 10/13.

Flag football leagues tomorrow beginning at 8:00AM.  Keep praying for this ministry.

Pray for Miss Dottie Clark and Carla Parker in their respective battles with sicknesses.

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

Good afternoon!  Sorry for the delayed entry.  No excuses.

Bro. Chris Scofield called me this morning to share that his mother is seemingly in the last days of her life on this earth.  Pray for her, Bro. Chris and the family during this time.

My good friend, and partner in missions, Mike Parker also called me this morning to share that his wife, Carla, had a biopsy earlier today that revealed she once again has a malignancy.  Plans are to remove the malignancy through surgery and then do chemo followed by radiation.  Pray for Carla, the medical folks, Mike and the entire family.

Major change – our Trail of Truth and Treats will take place on Sunday, November 3, from 3:00PM until 5:00PM.  Please note the new date and plan accordingly.

We had a good service this morning and are looking for a good one tonight beginning at 6:30PM.

I pray that the rest of your Wednesday will go well.

My prayer list today begins with Hurricane Milton and those folks in Florida who are in his path.  As of 4:00AM today, the sustained winds are at one hundred and fifty-five miles per hour – wow!  I realize those winds are supposed to lessen prior to landfall but Milton is still going to be a major storm.  Join me in praying for those in its path.

Speaking of hurricanes, many folks are still reeling from the deaths and devastation brought by Hurricane Helene.  The western side of North Carolina was hit extremely hard.  I talked to the deacons and finance committee this past Sunday morning and here is our plan to help – we will be sending a check to the New Life Fellowship Church located in Anderson, SC.  They are partnering with the One Focus Church in Swannanoa, NC (Asheville address).  We will be receiving a love offering in both of our services this Sunday, 10/13.  Pray and give as the Lord leads.  Pastor David Walters and Pastor Eddie Burdette of the New Life Fellowship will partner with the pastor of One Focus to coordinate the relief efforts in that community.  Again, pray and give as the Lord leads.

Also, Pastor Shirlon Davis and the folks of More Life Church in Grand Bay are collecting items to take to a sister church in eastern Tennessee which will then be given to folks impacted by Hurricane Helene.  Those items are being collected through this Monday, October 14.  My wife, Lisa, can give you many more details if you are interested in helping through this means.

Deidra and crew arrived safely on GRACE Mountain at 12:30AM their time this morning.  Thank the Lord!  Thank you for praying.

Jerrod Sessions loaded us down with fresh white trout yesterday.  Did he catch them?  Um, no!  Rebecca did!  Just the facts.  We appreciate this kind gesture by Jerrod & Rebecca.  Thank you!

Speaking of kind gestures, Pepper Scofield baked not one, but two, cheesecakes and brought them to us this past weekend.  How nice is that!  She is talented in being able to take a Cotton Blues cake out of the box, place it on a cake plate and make it look homemade.  I was impressed.  Thank you, Pepper.

I am told there were fourteen folks in the afternoon Bible study this past Sunday.  Good stuff!

Not sure how many folks were at choir rehearsal but I encourage folks to attend.  The Christmas musical will take place on Sunday, 12/15.  Pray for this ministry effort.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow – morning and evening.

Flag football this Saturday, 10/12, beginning at 8:00AM.  Pray for this ministry.

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

The Lord blessed us with a really good day in our services yesterday.  Praise Him.  A family spoke to me following the morning service expressing a desire to join the Friendship family.  Looking forward to them following through on this decision.  God is good!

JoNell Barnes is now recovering at home.  This sweet lady has been through it since last Monday.  Pray for a complete recovery now.

Obviously, it has been great having Deidra, Lizzi, Sydney, Audrey & Chino with us since last Monday.  Today, they will finish packing and I will then drive them to the New Orleans airport for a late afternoon departure to Houston followed by their flight to Guatemala City.  Pray for traveling mercies!  (The good news for us is that Deidra and the girls will be back here arriving on Wednesday, 10/23)

Thank you to those who have given financially to Deidra for their personal expenses.  Wow, unexpected but totally appreciated.

Also, thank you for Johnny Sessions for the beautiful bench he made to set beside Soy’s grave.  Very nice!  A blessing!

Wow, thank you for the tremendous response to the request for the girls in Guatemala.  Goal reached!  So, along with the great response from our friends in Michigan on Thursday night, all thirty-six girls are now covered.  What a blessing!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I believe Deidra will post pictures on the SLAM website following those days.

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

Happy twenty-eighth birthday to our twins – Dana & Gina.  Dana is the oldest by one minute.  We love Dana & Gina and are grateful they are our daughters.  Yes, adoption is truly the loving option.  I pray Dana & Gina will both have a great day today!

Heidi’s brother, Chip, has passed from this life.  His physical struggles are over.  Pray for his parents, Heidi and the entire family.  There will not be a public service.

JoNell was released from the hospital early Tuesday evening.  Pray that she will do well in her recovery.  Thank you to Peggy for the updates.

Miss Dottie Clark is not doing well per Dr. Mike.  Please keep praying.

The service for infant Maxi Payne will take place tomorrow at 3:00PM from the Hughes Funeral Home in Daphne, AL.  Pray for the family.

Thank you to Jeff Holifield and Bro. Abel for filling the pulpit yesterday morning and evening respectively.  We were blessed with a good family day.  God is good!

I received a ton of electronic messages yesterday from near and far.  I am grateful.  I tried to reply to each one with at least a “thank you!”  Again, I am blessed beyond measure.

Today, Deidra, Daphne and I will fly to Grand Rapids for our annual GRACE Gathering which will begin at 6:30PM tonight.  I love seeing our Michigan friends.  The three of us should be back in Pensacola just after 10:00AM tomorrow.  Pray for traveling mercies.

Flag football leagues on Saturday, 10/5, beginning at 8:00AM.  Pray for this ministry.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning and evening.  Video Bible study (Dr. Frank Turek) led by Bill Kendrick begins at 3:45PM.  Adult choir practice begins at 4:15PM.

In a most unusual move, I will not be taking my laptop with me to Michigan.  “If” I blog tomorrow it will be after lunch.  Lisa does not think I can do it.  So, I have a point to prove – LOL!

If you need to contact me today or tomorrow, just contact Lisa and she will track me down via Deidra or Daphne.

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