Nestled in the wooded countryside of rural Talladega County stands a little
white building known as Alpine Baptist Church. Having been a member there
for about a year, I count my blessings at finding a place of worship in which to
plant my life for a while. The physical appearance of the building
captured my attention the first time I drove up to attend a service,
admittedly feeling a bit skeptical. A few years had passed since I
had taken an active part in the life of a Baptist church. No ornate
decorations adorn the small frame structure There is no majestic steeple
astride the building and reaching high into the sky. The unusually large
windows hold no expensive stain glass, no biblical scenes painted on them.
Just plain, clear window panes through which the sunlight shines
unimpeded. On the front, four modest columns greet members and guests as
they climb a few steps up to the porch and enter the building through two pair
of tall, green double doors. Inside the sanctuary, the furniture and
carpet are pretty typical, with crimson the color of choice. But, nothing
ostentatious distracts from the simplicity of the decor. Two modest
additions to the main building hold a few Sunday School rooms and a large
multipurpose room for church gatherings and special occasions. For more
than one hundred and eighty-one years, the place, where as the sign out front
says, "Everybody is Somebody," has served as a physical testament to the grace
of God active in the life of the people and available to anyone who enters to
worship.
My skepticism prevented me from joining immediately, but a
troubling tug on my heart kept growing stronger with each additional visit.
Finally, at one of the evening services I expressed my desire to join this
unusual fellowship of believers. Through the years my experiences include
involvement in a number of churches of all sizes. Without demeaning any of
them, I can truthfully say that Alpine distinguishes itself in a variety of
ways. Three attractive qualities of the fellowship stand out. First,
and foremost, the people understand the meaning of unconditional acceptance with
no theological strings attached. To my dismay, in the past thirty years or
so, Southern Baptists have gravitated toward persistent legalism and political
manipulation. Consequently, quite a few Baptist churches have distanced
themselves from this tendency, including Alpine. Interestingly, real wine
is served during communion services. However, grape juice is offered for
those who hesitate to drink wine. Back in the spring, I participated in
the ordination of two women as deacons with absolutely no one voicing any
opposition. In that service, the presence of the Holy Spirit was as real
as in any worship service in which I have ever had the privilege of
participating. Such an event in a typical Baptist church is unheard of and
can serve as a cause for expulsion from the fellowship of churches known as an
association. Yet, a case can be made for the existence of deaconesses in
the New Testament churches. And, through the years women have been a
sustaining force in most churches despite their relegation to non leadership
roles.
A second distinguishing characteristic highlights the church's
heart for ministry and missions, not always typical of smaller churches.
Too often, a small church tends to look inward rather than outward.
Alpine looks for ways to reach out including providing monthly support for
a missionary in Uganda while also supporting the larger missionary programs of
the Southern Baptist Convention. Last spring, I spoke at a special
gathering of members designed to raise scholarship money for college students
with direct ties to the church. As a result of overwhelming support,
several students, one or two going off to college for the first time, received
fifteen hundred dollars each to help defray their expenses. When the
school year began, hundreds of dollars were distributed to several of the
schools in the county. On any given Sunday, a brief business meeting may
be called to share a need outside the congregation and usually at least five
hundred dollars is appropriated, sometimes more. For a church with limited
financial resources, these actions speak to its heart for ministry. But,
the people do much more than give money. They give of themselves
unselfishly in service to others. In the congregation are members who do
not hesitate to step up if needed, particularly when a tragedy or crisis sweeps
unexpectedly into the life of a family in the surrounding area.
A third distinction is related to the church's grasp of the true meaning of
biblical fellowship. Of course we do our share of eating together as was
the case on the fifth Sunday last weekend and we call that fellowship.
But, as the pastor clarified in his sermon that Sunday, understanding
fellowship, koinonia, goes much deeper than sharing together chicken,
casseroles, and cornbread. Fellowship is a dynamic relationship with God
that draws fellow believers into a loving and forgiving relationship with each
other. In a healthy fellowship there exists a unity of purpose and
participation that steadfastly avoids any word or deed that could lead to
discord in the body. To enjoy authentic fellowship within the church is to
experience a taste of future fellowship in heaven. There is a unity and
dependence on each other much like different parts of our body are in harmony
with and dependent on each other. From the fellowship of the church,
members draw encouragement and sustained spiritual nutrients necessary to gain
strength for facing the challenges of daily life.
If you come up this way
on a Sunday, take 21 north out of Sylacauga. After you pass through
greater Sycamore, Winterboro High School is just up the highway a few miles.
Turn left at the second road past the high school and drive a few miles on
the winding county road. Take your time and enjoy the scenery.
Suddenly, after navigating a rather sharp curve, you will come upon this
little white frame church on the left. Come on in and worship with us.
You will be glad you did.
Tharel Shirah
white building known as Alpine Baptist Church. Having been a member there
for about a year, I count my blessings at finding a place of worship in which to
plant my life for a while. The physical appearance of the building
captured my attention the first time I drove up to attend a service,
admittedly feeling a bit skeptical. A few years had passed since I
had taken an active part in the life of a Baptist church. No ornate
decorations adorn the small frame structure There is no majestic steeple
astride the building and reaching high into the sky. The unusually large
windows hold no expensive stain glass, no biblical scenes painted on them.
Just plain, clear window panes through which the sunlight shines
unimpeded. On the front, four modest columns greet members and guests as
they climb a few steps up to the porch and enter the building through two pair
of tall, green double doors. Inside the sanctuary, the furniture and
carpet are pretty typical, with crimson the color of choice. But, nothing
ostentatious distracts from the simplicity of the decor. Two modest
additions to the main building hold a few Sunday School rooms and a large
multipurpose room for church gatherings and special occasions. For more
than one hundred and eighty-one years, the place, where as the sign out front
says, "Everybody is Somebody," has served as a physical testament to the grace
of God active in the life of the people and available to anyone who enters to
worship.
My skepticism prevented me from joining immediately, but a
troubling tug on my heart kept growing stronger with each additional visit.
Finally, at one of the evening services I expressed my desire to join this
unusual fellowship of believers. Through the years my experiences include
involvement in a number of churches of all sizes. Without demeaning any of
them, I can truthfully say that Alpine distinguishes itself in a variety of
ways. Three attractive qualities of the fellowship stand out. First,
and foremost, the people understand the meaning of unconditional acceptance with
no theological strings attached. To my dismay, in the past thirty years or
so, Southern Baptists have gravitated toward persistent legalism and political
manipulation. Consequently, quite a few Baptist churches have distanced
themselves from this tendency, including Alpine. Interestingly, real wine
is served during communion services. However, grape juice is offered for
those who hesitate to drink wine. Back in the spring, I participated in
the ordination of two women as deacons with absolutely no one voicing any
opposition. In that service, the presence of the Holy Spirit was as real
as in any worship service in which I have ever had the privilege of
participating. Such an event in a typical Baptist church is unheard of and
can serve as a cause for expulsion from the fellowship of churches known as an
association. Yet, a case can be made for the existence of deaconesses in
the New Testament churches. And, through the years women have been a
sustaining force in most churches despite their relegation to non leadership
roles.
A second distinguishing characteristic highlights the church's
heart for ministry and missions, not always typical of smaller churches.
Too often, a small church tends to look inward rather than outward.
Alpine looks for ways to reach out including providing monthly support for
a missionary in Uganda while also supporting the larger missionary programs of
the Southern Baptist Convention. Last spring, I spoke at a special
gathering of members designed to raise scholarship money for college students
with direct ties to the church. As a result of overwhelming support,
several students, one or two going off to college for the first time, received
fifteen hundred dollars each to help defray their expenses. When the
school year began, hundreds of dollars were distributed to several of the
schools in the county. On any given Sunday, a brief business meeting may
be called to share a need outside the congregation and usually at least five
hundred dollars is appropriated, sometimes more. For a church with limited
financial resources, these actions speak to its heart for ministry. But,
the people do much more than give money. They give of themselves
unselfishly in service to others. In the congregation are members who do
not hesitate to step up if needed, particularly when a tragedy or crisis sweeps
unexpectedly into the life of a family in the surrounding area.
A third distinction is related to the church's grasp of the true meaning of
biblical fellowship. Of course we do our share of eating together as was
the case on the fifth Sunday last weekend and we call that fellowship.
But, as the pastor clarified in his sermon that Sunday, understanding
fellowship, koinonia, goes much deeper than sharing together chicken,
casseroles, and cornbread. Fellowship is a dynamic relationship with God
that draws fellow believers into a loving and forgiving relationship with each
other. In a healthy fellowship there exists a unity of purpose and
participation that steadfastly avoids any word or deed that could lead to
discord in the body. To enjoy authentic fellowship within the church is to
experience a taste of future fellowship in heaven. There is a unity and
dependence on each other much like different parts of our body are in harmony
with and dependent on each other. From the fellowship of the church,
members draw encouragement and sustained spiritual nutrients necessary to gain
strength for facing the challenges of daily life.
If you come up this way
on a Sunday, take 21 north out of Sylacauga. After you pass through
greater Sycamore, Winterboro High School is just up the highway a few miles.
Turn left at the second road past the high school and drive a few miles on
the winding county road. Take your time and enjoy the scenery.
Suddenly, after navigating a rather sharp curve, you will come upon this
little white frame church on the left. Come on in and worship with us.
You will be glad you did.
Tharel Shirah