Congregations band together to construct Trinity Baptist
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The members of Trinity Baptist Church know exactly what that?s about. From a beginning of holding services in a small house, the church is now in the process of constructing a beautiful new building at 1701 John Oliver Road to house their growing congregation.
But the way this congregation?s dream is being fulfilled is the real story here. It?s a story about how the melding of technology and prayer has resulted in the creation of a house of worship that will serve its members for years to come. And the best part is the hands doing the work belong to a group whose goal is to spread the word of the gospel by building churches all across the country.
It all started when the Trinity Baptist congregation began to outgrow its current meeting place and the members decided it was time to build a new church. Current minister Jerry Smith knew about other churches which had been built with volunteer labor. He began searching on the Internet and made contact with a Southern Baptist church association from Cullman County, Alabama that did this type of mission. This group had worked on church construction projects as far away as North Pole, Alaska. Brother Smith contacted them and they agreed to offer their services to help build the church here.
The effort is called the East Cullman Baptist Mission Work Trip by those involved. Once they take on a project, teams of workers, up to 80 or more at a time, rotate back and forth during the construction with each handling different phases of the project. The teams stay at the site, either in their own trailers or in rooms provided by the church congregation.
Cullman residents Osmar and Nell Morris have been involved with this mission for 27 years. Osmar is a licensed builder and team leader with the group and has been working on or heading up projects since 1979.
The majority of volunteers come from the association of more than 50 Baptist churches in their area, though other churches from outside the association have joined in as the mission has grown over the years.
And the group keeps busy doing the Lord?s work.
?We have been on as many as five projects in one year,? Nell said.
?We got started through the Southern Baptist Convention,? Osmar explained. ?They would have requests from churches, and sometimes individuals, that needed help, that didn?t have the finances to hire the labor to do the job.?
Dr. Robert Crawford, the minister at Osmar?s church, says around 20 individuals from their small congregation volunteer for these projects every year.
?We enjoy being involved in anything that?s going to assist the spread of the gospel,? Crawford said. ?And we think in helping churches become established and have their own buildings and be self-sufficient, then that encourages them to reach out in the community, and it also encourages the community to be more receptive to their word and their mission.?
The projects are undertaken in association with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, and that?s where technology and prayer came together to engineer the Trinity Baptist Church project.
?They went on the Internet and listed their project,? Osmar said. ?Then the North American Mission Board checks it out to make sure it?s a legitimate need and request, then from that we make contacts and find out what their specific needs are.?
The request then goes to the Mission Work Trip committee, of which Osmar is chairman, for review.
?Then we pray about it, and we make a decision as to where we?re going to go and what we?re going to do,? Osmar said. ?And that?s basically what we?ve been doing since 1979.?
The group performs a number of other services, such as building handicap ramps, disaster relief, and even construction for those who have lost their homes in fires.
The missionaries provide their own transportation to the projects, pay their own expenses, buy their own food and bring along the cooks to prepare it, which is a major part of the effort. Many work other jobs and take their vacation time to do these church construction projects. Last week over 80 volunteers were on hand to help build the Trinity Baptist Church. Another large group will come in a week or so later to finish the inside of the building.
Nancy Horton, who is the superintendent of Cullman County Schools, was part of last week?s group, on hand to help with the cooking and kitchen work necessary to feed the large group of workers. Horton says she got involved because of her husband?s work with the mission.
?He would come home and talk about the blessings he had received,? Horton said, ?and I just felt like I would like to be a part of that, to be able to give back to the Lord because He has blessed me so much.?
And despite all the hard work, Osmar says everyone considers being involved in these projects a blessing.
?We just thank God for the opportunity,? Osmar said.
And the Lord?s blessing has been evident right here at home too, according to church members. Many local individuals, businesses and church groups have also donated funds, labor and materials to the project.
?Everyone here and in other counties and states have been really generous with their donations and support,? said church member Diane Bond, ?and we really appreciate it. We?d like to invite everyone in the county to come to our church.?
?If you build it, they will come.? It may come from a Hollywood movie, but it still rings true for the members of Trinity Baptist Church.