By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The new senior pastor at one of the county’s largest churches said he is looking forward to spreading God’s word and impacting Shelby County while continuing the congregation’s mission work across the world.

First Baptist Church of Alabaster welcomed Steve Andrews as the church’s new senior pastor during its April 3 service.

Andrews, who served for 12 years as pastor of Cavalry Baptist Church in Rome, Ga., said it was difficult to leave the Georgia church, but said he is looking forward to spreading the gospel in Alabaster.

“It wasn’t easy to leave the church in Rome, but if there was ever a time I was open to make a move, I guess this would be the season of opportunity,” Andrews said. “Members of the (Alabaster) congregation have joked that the Andrews family only visited Alabaster once and they were sold. I’d say that’s a pretty accurate description.”

Andrews said he was attracted to Shelby County because it reminded him of his childhood home in Gwinett County, Georgia, which is outside Atlanta.

“I’m actually still in the process of getting everything settled here, so we haven’t lived in Alabaster yet,” Andrews said. “But the folks here have been tremendously accommodating and kind.”

Andrews said he does not plan to alter the message pastors have preached for decades at First Baptist Alabaster, but he does plan to bring a sense of “urgency and energy” to the message in an attempt to reach more people in the community.

“We’re preaching a gospel that has been around for 2,000 years now,” he said. “We want to be real conservative in our teaching.”

The new pastor said First Baptist Alabaster already has strong community-support programs, which he said he plans to continue and strengthen.

“We want to have a strong influence in the immediate greater Alabaster area, and we want to continue to support what the church has done,” Andrew said. “Because of our participation in the Southern Baptist Convention, which is the second-largest relief organization behind the Red Cross, we will be able to reach the whole world through our ministry.

“I just feel like God has opened the door for me to come here,” Andrews added. “I’m excited about it, and I’m looking forward to doing great things in Alabaster.”

To learn more about Alabaster First Baptist, and its programs and service times, visit Fbcalabaster.org.