Author: Amanda Wiggins

“Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me. Let them not say, ‘We have swallowed him up.’” (Psalm 35:24 – 25)

The most famous quote from the American Revolution was Patrick Henry’s, “Give me Liberty or give me Death.” However, there were several Bible passages which fueled the fire, too. The verses I quoted from Psalm 35 were some of the most quoted along with Leviticus 25:10 “…and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants…” and Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

The American Revolution has been called by some a political revolution, but I believe it was a spiritual movement which led to a national movement of freedom by our founders. Not too many years before the call to freedom, the colonies experienced its “First Great Awakening” led by Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Samuel Davies and Gilbert Tenent as well as others. Their teaching and preaching were composed of these revival preachers emphasizing “the ‘terrors of the law’ to sinners, the unmerited grace of God, and the ‘new birth’ in Jesus Christ. They frequently sought to inspire in their listeners a fear of the consequences of their sinful lives and a respect for the omnipotence of God.” (Encyclopedia Brittanica)

As we draw closer and closer to the time of our 250th birthday as a nation, let’s not forget that the Lord led many men and women to see the importance of depending upon Him which in turn led us to seek independence from Great Britain. May we as a nation return to our foundational roots and seek the Lord first! In so doing, we will find our way to face the many challenges which confront us as a nation and as individuals. May the Lord Jesus Christ be glorified through us to all the nations! May we be a light to the world again!

Until Next Month,

Bro. Lyle

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  (Galatians 2:20)

Why does the Pickens Baptist Association emphasize evangelism and missions so much? Well, it is our responsibility to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ starting in our Jerusalem and going to the rest of the world. Over the next couple of months, our mission teams will continue that task. They find themselves going to Alaska, Brazil, Honduras, Mexico and Kentucky. In March, a team was on the ground in Oaxaca, Mexico. It is great to see what God is doing through the PBA. Who could ever imagine that an association and its churches of no more than 1800 active members can touch so many areas for Christ. PTL!! Honestly, I am overwhelmed. You, PBA, have a missions and an evangelistic heart. There’s no other way to describe it.

However, this heart does not come from our “obligation”, but from our call. As I read this passage this morning, I wept when I realized that it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. He is the one who loves me and gave his life for me to know Him. Why wouldn’t I gladly desire for others to know this Jesus that I know. I am not under any obligation, but I am moved by my love for Jesus, and his love for me and His world. We must never forget…He was crucified in order that “whoever believes in Him will not perish but experience eternal life.” (John 3:16)

What about you? What motivates you to share your faith with a lost and dying world? Will you be ministering this summer through VBS, through local church outreach activities, through neighborly visits, or some other way that the Lord impresses upon you? Remember, He, Jesus, lives in you and me in order that we share what He has done and is doing in us.

Until Next Month,

Bro. Lyle

“And Abraham drew near, and said, ‘Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked?’…And he (Abraham) said, ‘What if only ten can be found there?’ ‘For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.’”

(Genesis 18:23, 32)

As many of you know, FCI-Aliceville will be transitioning from an All-Female prison to an All-Male prison starting in May. This has caused much anxiety among the ladies at FCI but also for our leadership teams. Some are not sure if they will continue their ministries. Why? Because being women ministering to men can cause some sticky situations just as it does for men ministering to women. Also, men can be more aggressive and intimidating.  

When FCI-Aliceville opened over 13 years ago, Dr. Farley and the Pickens Baptist Association were challenged to have “100 Godly Women” participating in different ministries throughout the prison. As I mentioned earlier, some of these ladies will not continue them which means a newer emphasis must go forward. Men, I challenge you to step up and start praying to see how God might use you at FCI-Aliceville. As our scripture passage points out, Abraham was talking to the Lord regarding the saving from destruction Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham was able to ask the Lord, “What if only 50 righteous men can be found there?”  Abraham continued to plead until he asked the Lord, “What if only ten righteous men can be found there?” The Lord answered his request. PBA men, can there be 50 righteous men who will take up this challenge and serve the Lord at FCI-Aliceville? I hope this prayer will be answered. If you are interested, please contact me @ (251) 769-6923.

Presently, we’re not sure what the policies of the new warden will be, but our prayer is that God will keep this door wide open to PBA as in the past. Come and be part of what God will do through your ministry at FCI-Aliceville!

Until Next Month,     

Bro. Lyle

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”  (Acts 20:35)

Recently, our PBA Disaster Relief team was called to serve in Greenville, MS. 16 of our DR members led by Gary Rogers went to do chainsaw, clean-up and recovery, and mass feeding. While there, the team had contact with a Mrs. Mary Price. I’m going to let Gary Rogers tell you the rest of the story.

“Mrs. Mary Price lived just down the street from one of our job sites and was telling me that a DR team had been to her home and done a lot of work, but they had not finished. Unfortunately, no one had returned to complete it, and she was not happy about this. Demanding that I see her yard, I rode to her house. The job was not complete. I explained to her that I had been given work orders for several homes and was committed to them first, but I promised that I would bring this to our leader’s attention. When I returned to Greenville, I informed leadership that the work was not complete. Well this story continues, I received a phone call from Mrs. Mary telling me that the administrative office informed her that the job had been marked complete. She was not very happy again.  After she spoke with the administrative team, we received a work order from them to go to Mrs. Mary’s house on our last day. The uncompleted project took us all day to complete. As our team worked, Mrs. Mary met our chaplains with a very unhappy face. However, as the day wore on, we were able to build a relationship, share the gospel and love on her. Believe it or not, Mrs. Mary prayed to accept Christ as her Savior!!!!!!  Praise the LORD!!!!!!  We celebrated, sang, and prayed with her at the close of the work day!!!”

If you’d be interested in participating in the PBA Disaster Relief trips, there will be a training on Friday and Saturday, May 1 – 2 at the PBA office and Carrollton Baptist Church. To register for this training, below are the details on how to do it. Go online to: alsbom-gm.org Select the Current AL DR Volunteer tab. Now you are at the login page, user name is your email address. Password:  if you have never created one select forgot, and you will receive instructions on how to create one. Once you have entered a good password and have logged in, the system will open up in the Portal Dashboard. Open the Volunteer Account tab, please verify that all your information is correct. Then sign the Liability Release form if you have not done it. Review the date on your background check, if it is close to expiring (a year or less) please do a new background. Open the Portal Dash Board tab, on this page you will find all the training that is available this spring.  Pickens Baptist Association training will be at the very bottom of the list.  Observe the Course Number of the Class you want to take:

P-0059 Cleanup and Recovery                                                                  P-0060 Chainsaw

P-0061 Mass Feeding                                                                                  P-0062 Administration

At the bottom left of this page select Register for Class tab, then register for training in Pickens, select.

Until Next Month,     

Bro. Lyle

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

(Romans 1:20)

God’s eternal power and His divine nature are everywhere. Some see them right in front of their eyes, and yet don’t realize that it is God who has created everything. Although I was an unbeliever at the time, I knew that something or someone beyond man created this beautiful world in which we live. Of course, this was confirmed once I came to follow Jesus. He created it all. Colossians 1:16 testifies that “by Him all things were created”. John 1:3 states “without Him nothing was made”. Finally, Hebrews 1:2 says “through Him also He made the worlds”. WOW! People are blind. I was blind! Are you blind to God’s power and His divine nature?

There is an uncertainty at the moment because our weather is warmer than it should be. So far, we in Pickens County have not suffered as those in Mississippi and other parts of the US, but it may come. I’ve heard comments from several folks in the county that the brief snowfall a couple of weeks ago was just perfect…a couple hours of snowfall and gone before the end of the day. God is so good to us!

There are some events coming in the next month that should interest all ages within our churches. First of all, the Annual PBA Pinewood Derby races at Pickensville FBC from 12 Noon until 2:00 PM. We’ve have many kids of all ages building their cars. It does take a lot of hard work, but it is worth seeing the effort put forth by each participant. There are still Pinewood Derby Race cars available at the PBA office if needed. Please contact me @ (251) 769-6923, if you’re interested.

The Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions Evangelism Department will be sponsoring the Annual Evangelism Conference at Heritage Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL on Sunday, March 1 at 6:00 PM until Monday evening, March 2 at 3:00 PM.  I would encourage not only our PBA pastors, but also, the men and women of our churches to participate. It’s a time to hear great preaching, receive training, and spend time fellowshipping with other brothers and sisters in Christ. There is not cost, and you can receive more information at ALSBOM.org and search for the Evangelism section, open it, and then hit the 2026 State Evangelism Conference selection. This will give you more information. 

Finally, the next Pastors’ Fellowship Supper will be on Friday, March 20 at Bro. Mike Hall’s cabin at 6:00 PM. This is in lieu of the supper which was cancelled on Friday, January 30 due to the winter storm. For more information, contact Bro. Larry Shelton @ (205) 399 – 0657.

May you observe God’s eternal power and divine nature each and every day!

Until Next Month,

Bro. Lyle

“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” (Acts 17:6b)

Do you know the phrase “polar opposites”? Usually, it refers to individuals with extremely diverse views on almost anything. Well, as you read this article, Claren and I will be physically experiencing “polar opposites” with you. We will be in or near Antarctica or better said, the South Pole. This trip has been a dream for nearly 20 years, and I found someone else besides Claren who wanted to go there too. Yes, I know that I’m not going to see anything, but glaciers, ice, snow, penguins, Orca whales as well as other polar animals that can stand the extreme cold, but it will be summer. The temperatures will only be in the mid to high 30s. What a summer blast!

Claren and I are experiencing the physical “polar opposites” as we traveled with her parents as far north as Fairbanks, Alaska. Although it will not be nearly as cold there as it will be in Antarctica, we will have experienced the polar extremes. Who would have thought that a little boy from Dothan, Alabama would get these opportunities!!

Our passage from Acts 17 talks of the world being turned upside down, but for a different reason. It just so happened that Paul and Silas were teaching and preaching in Thessalonica. A great multitude of Greeks, especially prominent women, believed in Jesus. Of course, the Jews did not believe and were envious of Paul and Silas. The Jews attempted to find these two men and present them to the rulers of the city, but only Jason, the leader of the Jewish synagogue, could be found. As the Jewish leaders spoke with him, they made the famous statement of the world being turned upside down. In other words, Paul and Silas were causing all kind of chaos within the Jewish and Gentile communities due to the preaching and teaching of these two men. You had “polar opposite” religious beliefs. The Jews were basing their faith on their traditions while Paul and Silas were basing theirs in Jesus Christ. No wonder there was turmoil in the city.

Are we, are you, turning your world upside down? Do others fear us when we come into their presence because they know that you are not afraid to talk about Jesus anytime, anywhere and any place? As we begin 2026, may we turn Pickens County upside down with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Until Next Month,

Bro. Lyle

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (Revelation 22:13)

Here we are at the end of another year. It’s hard to believe isn’t it? It seems as though we just got started, and now it’s over. We may ask ourselves; “Where did this year go?, What did we do?, How much time did I waste?” Maybe, we did, or maybe, we didn’t portions of 2025. I do know that some of you have had a very good year while others have struggled physically and spiritually. It’s life as much as we hate to admit it, and life in this world does come to an end.

However, there is hope! Jesus said, “I am…the Beginning and the End.” Nothing escapes Him. He has always been present  and will always be present. He is eternal and the source of all existence. When Christ was born into this world, hope entered into our world. Life was going to change as man knew it. Something different was happening. God came to earth and lived among us. He experienced life from our perspective.

Don’t we usually tell people, “you just don’t understand, my life and/or my circumstances are different.” Well, we can’t use that excuse anymore with the Lord. Through Jesus’ entrance into our world, He knew life as we know it, all the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations, all the suffering, and all the joys. Jesus knows His creation from the smallest insect to man’s feelings.

Did God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit not know us before He created us? Of course, He did, but Jesus’ birth, death, burial and resurrection gave Him a true understanding of what man experiences on a daily basis and how to overcome whatever we may face through the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, it is the end of a helpless life and the beginning of a hopeful one in Christ Jesus.

So, Lyle, how does all this fit into the Christmas story? Well, think about it. Through Christ’s birth, we see God bringing the Promised One who would die for our sins and resurrecting from the dead giving us new life…an ending and a beginning! To quote this passage once again: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (II Cor. 5:17) There it is, the old ending and the new beginning.

My prayer for you this Christmas and New Year’s is for you to be a new creation in Jesus Christ. By being a new creation, you are beginning a new life with a different perspective.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Bro. Lyle 

“He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows it’s going down…O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions.”  (Ps. 104:19, 24)

Fall is the most beautiful time of the year in my opinion. Why do you say that Bro. Lyle? Don’t you realize that winter comes afterwards. Yes, yes, I’m aware of what’s coming, but how can you argue with the beautiful colors of the leaves with their yellows, oranges, and reds. As the Psalmist wrote, “In wisdom You made them all.” (v. 24)

Notice how the writer states that “In wisdom” He made them all. God’s wisdom made the seasons occur. This was not some phenomenon that “just happened”, but it was planned out ahead of time. As the Lord was creating our world, He was even giving attention to the falling of tree leaves. Now, that may not sound like a big deal, but it demonstrates His control over everything as well as the beauty that He desires for us to experience. How many times do we whine about raking the dead leaves? I have, but as I grow older, I appreciate them even more. Their beauty helps me to “Praise the Lord!”  Why?  Because our Lord is in control. Even if the world may seem chaotic, He is not the author of chaos. God the Father is the author of beauty, design, and supervision of His world.

As I relate this verse to our own lives, we are the crown jewel of His works. Scripture records that God said of man’s creation, “He saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31) As one person has said, “God don’t make junk!” Whenever we begin to doubt our importance, our significance, let’s look at the fallen leaves and remember that we are God’s possession. In His wisdom, He has created us and given us a purpose to fulfill in this world in which we live. Let’s get do it!

Have a Very Happy Thanksgiving and a Special Time with Family!

Until Next Month,

Bro. Lyle   

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” (Zech. 4:10)

Pickens Baptist Association is a rural association. What does that mean exactly? Well, when you compare rural communities to suburban and urban ones, there is a distinct difference. The lifestyle in urban and suburban areas “tend be faster-paced, offer more educational and job opportunities, and have a rapidly developing infrastructure”. (quoted material) Whereas, rural areas are “usually quieter, less developed, open spaces, smaller towns, focused more on agriculture and production of raw materials” like pines and hard woods.

It, also, means that we are positioned to do things in our churches that many larger ones cannot. In a recent article in the Birmingham Metro Baptist Association newsletter, the writer mentioned how smaller churches can build genuine relationships across generations, adapt quicker, provide pastoral care, and provide an “approachability” to folks that a larger church cannot.

The tendency of smaller churches is to desire to be larger, but why? Do you not know that 2/3s of Southern Baptist Churches are less than 100 in attendance? It’s even truer for us. 30 of our 33 churches average less than 100 people in attendance. So, let’s embrace our strengths because we have many opportunities in front of us to pray, share, and care for one another in addition to carrying the Gospel into Pickens County and the world.

Recently, one of our churches celebrated its “Gideon’s Sunday”. Like always, the church gives a specified amount, and then takes up an offering during the worship service. When I spoke and confirmed with the pastor that his church receives through the offering between $ 7,000 to $ 10,000 dollars. I went, “WHAT $7,000 to $ 10,000 dollars”! I couldn’t believe that this church which averages 40 people in worship gave so much to the Gideon’s Ministry. What a Blessing! Again, this church is embracing its strengths to carry the Word of God to the world. May you do the same!

Until Next Month,

Bro. Lyle

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed…” (Matt. 13:31a)

As PBA churches, how are you showing love to the community in which you live?  I could name you several ways to do it, but I’d rather share with you an example of how one church is showing its love for Christ to others.

At Aliceville First Baptist Church, there is a group of 10 women who come together at least once a month to show their love for Christ to new church members, the sick, new businesses, school teachers, the Board of Education, bus drivers, and events like the PBA Car and Truck show as well as other ways. They have been doing this ministry for many years to “minister to the folks in their church and their community”. According to the contact I made, she said it has been amazing to see how one little ministry has grown from a small beginning to one much larger.

In Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed, the seed starts with its being planted in the ground. Then, it is watered and nurtured. Through this care, the seed begins to grow into a plant with a great harvest. Of course, Jesus is speaking of how the Kingdom of God is present in the world. His presence in a community starts small, but then His influence begins to touch more and more people in many different ways until finally some come to know Him as Savior and Lord.

This is the parallel to our demonstrating Christ’s love in our communities. As we, Christ’s church, reach out beyond ourselves throughout Pickens County, touch the lives of many people. Eventually, there will be a harvest of persons coming to know Him personally. The Cookie Ministry at Aliceville FBC is one way of sharing His love with others. What are you doing to share Christ’s love? What is your local church doing to share Christ’s love? Once you can answer those two questions, go for it!

Until Next Month,

Bro. Lyle