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Martin Fancher
Executive Secretary
It’s been a privilege serving as your Executive Secretary for the past five years. I could hardly have imagined the varied responsibilities that would come with this ministry assignment in 2016 – but today I can tell you what a blessing it has been, and what a blessing it is to see God at work in the Gulf States Conference Churches and schools! In fact, the absolute highlight in this role has been the ability to attend or visit nearly all of the churches in our Conference. It is such a joy to worship with you, to celebrate various events with you like Homecoming celebrations, mortgage burnings, Pastoral Ordinations, Teacher dedications, and grand openings of new church facilities. To participate and preach an evangelistic series that share the love of Jesus with those invited from your local communities, and of course, enjoying Fellowship Lunches with you!! Let me tell you – we have many wonderful cooks in Gulf States!!
In Last Day Events, page 72, it reads,
“In reviewing our past history, having traveled over every step of advance to our present standing, I can say, Praise God! As I see what the Lord has wrought, I am filled with astonishment, and with confidence in Christ as leader. We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.”
We have such a rich history – we have truly been blessed! It’s so amazing to know that the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has continued to remain at the forefront of our denomination’s history. That those who founded this movement in the mid 1800’s carried on the same ministry functions as we do in 2021, and though times and methods of ministry have changed – our mission remains the same – to share the Gospel (the good news of Jesus) in our part of the world. You, as members of the Gulf States Conference, are part of that rich history and are part of today’s mission to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your community and to those whom God sends across your path. What a privilege each of us have to serve our Savior, to be called to participate in His mission and to ‘Go into all the World’ sharing what Jesus has done in our lives – ultimately looking forward to Jesus’ soon return to take us to our heavenly home to be with Him for all eternity. What a day of rejoicing that will be.
Part of my responsibility is to preserve the information and details that emerge from your churches – documenting the ongoing ministry and mission of Gulf States Conference. I am happy to report that Gulf States Conference currently has a total membership of 13,054 members as of today, September 14, 2021. One in four are members of a Hispanic church family. In 2016 we had 11,901 members. There have been 2,404 baptisms and professions of faith in the last five years. That’s nearly 500 baptisms per year in your churches. Can you say ‘Praise the Lord’ with me?!
Currently, we have 86 churches, 11 company status churches, and 6 groups meeting each Sabbath - with 33 pastors and 5 lay pastors preaching each Sabbath! From Olive Branch & New Albany, in North West Missippi to Summit & Monticello, near New Orleans - from Stateline and Floral Crest in Northernmost Alabama to Panama City, Florida on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico – we have churches in all parts of the three states that make up Gulf States Conference, Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle. As our Conference President Elder Danese always says with a smile – “we live in the ‘Promised Land’!” and, it is a most beautiful part of our country!
I certainly want to highlight that along with our churches we have 43 educators (teachers) teaching in 13 Church schools across the conference and in our one boarding high school – Bass Memorial Academy near Hattiesburg, MS. These schools are providing education not only in the 3 R’s (Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic) but educators encourage and help students foster a relationship with Jesus – with this 4th R (Relationship with Jesus) – being what sets our schools above most other schools. Helping students prepare not only for life on this earth – but also for the life we will have with Jesus in Heaven someday soon. Continue to pray for our teachers and schools – their ministry and mission is certainly a vital one.
Another aspect of growth and mission is the purchase of property and churches by established congregations that have grown, or by churches that have been planted and matured in size and means to acquire a place to worship. Like Uchee Pines that had their grand opening service September 11, and Forest Hispanic who also celebrated their grand opening not that long ago. Eufaula AL, Jackson MS Hispanic, Central Gulf Hispanic in Biloxi have all purchased churches – along with several others in the past 5 years – many of which were purchased during the pandemic! Churches like Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, and Fort Payne Hispanic and several others have remodeled and updated their facilities. The list goes on and on – all combined these purchases and additions total OVER 5 million dollars invested for the Lord’s work in Gulf States Conference. I shake my head in amazement at what God has done these past 5 years – all I can do is praise Him and thank Him for His faithfulness. I also want to Thank You for YOUR faithfulness – as these churches I’ve mentioned and many others I haven’t are YOUR churches – that make up YOUR conference sisterhood of churches!
I also have the privilege of serving as Adventist Community Services Director. In the last 2 years, we have acquired two Trailers to be used in our territory. In February 2020, we took possession of our Shower & Laundry Trailer – a 21 foot specially designed trailer that has two rooms each with a toilet, sink and shower, and another room with 2 large capacity commercial washers & dryers. It is equipped to be used with all full electric water and septic connections OR has the complete capacity to be used in remote places with self-contained fresh water, black water tanks, and a generator & propane to operate all the equipment – including an air conditioner in warmer weather! This is a game changer. The obvious use after a disaster, such as a tornado or a hurricane is self-evident. However, this trailer was purchased to be used throughout the year. Our Publishing Department has been able to send students into our smaller church districts, by utilizing the trailer as a means for students to do laundry and shower daily. This trailer may have already been to your church! Most recently it has been at the Birmingham Roebuck and North Bay Churches! Near the end of October it will be at the College Drive Church outside of Jackson, MS to assist the Messiahs Mansion volunteers – providing a place to shower and do laundry while they do evangelism on the church property!
This year we added a smaller 8x10 trailer that will house Home and yard equipment. Rakes, shovels, pruners, lawnmower, blowers, edgers and weed eaters – helmets, gloves and safety glasses along with tarps, etc. – items needed when responding after a storm or tornado to clean up property. Churches can schedule to use the trailer for events through the year to provide yard cleanup to neighbors, and for shut-ins or other community service needs in their area.
Both of these trailers will be at the office during the Constituency session in 2 weeks so you can see them – thereafter, I hope they are used so much that they rarely, if ever, are back in the conference office parking lot!
The Constituency Session is also my responsibility to prepare for – and it is joy to know that YOU will make a difference at our session on September 26. We need your voice to affirm the mission and vision of Gulf States Conference as we prepare for the last days, and for Christs’ soon return. One of the most significant votes will update our Constitution and Bylaws, a document that members, like you, created to organize the work of the Gulf States Conference. This Constitution went into effect in 1984, when Gulf States Conference came into being at a session not unlike our upcoming meeting. You, as delegates to this Session will take significant action to update this document to better reflect the times in which we live, and to ensure the ministry of God’s work moves forward, in-person and virtually. Currently, our Constitution and Bylaws do not allow for virtual meetings – and I’m not surprised as Zoom and other virtual meeting platforms didn’t even exist in 1984! Times keep changing – yet our mission remains the same.
I could go on – but I think you get the picture. It’s not about US – it’s about JESUS. It’s about being faithful to HIS MISSION – because Gulf States Conference and all of its churches and schools don’t belong to US or even to YOU – they all belong to JESUS – and it’s our mission and prayer to keep our eyes on Jesus – to continue to believe that “We have nothing to fear for the future, except we forget how God has led us in past times.”
God hasn’t let us down yet -and He never will.
Thank you for your faithfulness to God and His work – thank you again for allowing me to serve you these past 5 years – I look forward to seeing you Sunday, September 26! It’s going to be a great day!