On the night of March 27, Cumberland Baptist Church held an impressive service of ordination for Brother Hunter Wooldridge, who was ordained into the full ministry.
The Rev. Chris Barrow, pastor, and other members had been planning this night for a while, which was easy to tell as it was well planned.
Cumberland Baptist is located across the road from East Webster High School, and is a supporter of all its activities and a supporter of many things in the county.
If you have never attended an ordination service, you would be impressed. Although this was an ordination by a Baptist church, everything said and done in the service would be fitting for a church of any denomination.
From 30 minutes to one hour before the service, many of Hunter's classmates from Blue Mountain College and his family (including his grandfather), which sat on two pews, started coming in.
After an opening hymn, Brother Barrow welcomed the people, and Dr. Darwin Brooks of the Department of Music at Blue Mountain College led the song “Onward Christian Soldiers.”
Brother Martin Jacks, associational missions director of the Webster Baptist Association, had a prayer and scripture reading.
Brother Caleb Malone, a graduate of Blue Mountain College and now pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Slate Springs, who is not much older than Hunter, gave the charge to the candidate, part of which, using the scripture, "I give you this charge; preach the word, be prepared in season and out of season. Correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction.”
Charge to the congregation was given by Brother Barrow. He mentioned that Hunter came to Cumberland Baptist during the COVID pandemic and that he had been much help, as at that time the church was having online worship services. Also, since he has been ordained, they know that someday some church would try and get him, which would be a sad day for us, but it would be our job to send him on with our blessings and prayer.
That evening, many videos of the service were showing up on Facebook, and one young man in Bruce with no connection to Cumberland Baptist or to Hunter Wooldridge was heard to say, "The first time I saw this guy, coming out of a restaurant in Mathiston, I could feel the presence of God and God's favor on him."
What a great testimony for such a good Christian person.
