By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Dr. Mike Shaw, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Pelham, said he was pleased after serving his first term as president of the Alabama Baptist Convention in late November.

Shaw, who was elected to the position in 2010, said his first term as president brought no controversies, and was a solemn occasion in the wake of the state’s April tornado outbreak.

“I think it went well. Certainly not because of anything I did. It was because of all the churches that attended from all over the state,” Shaw said a few weeks after returning from the convention, which was held in Mobile the week before Thanksgiving. “It was a very well-attended convention.”

During the annual meeting, the convention passed several resolutions related to tornado relief efforts, pro-life issues and several other topics.

“Those tornadoes were terrible things, but a lot of good people stepped up to help after they hit,” Shaw said. “Some people left their houses on that Wednesday night to go out and help people on Thursday.

“One of the most touching things I saw was when a Michigan team came down to help cut trees,” he added. “They interviewed a big, tough-looking guy, and when he got on camera, he just broke down. Every time I see that, I break down too.”

In addition to passing a resolution honoring Southern Baptists’ tornado relief efforts, the convention passed resolutions “reaffirming (Alabama Baptists’) commitment to the protection of the lives of the unborn,” supporting religious freedom in all parts of the world, supporting heterosexual marriage and celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.

The convention also passed a resolution in appreciation of Paul Miller, who has worked for many years with the Children’s Homes and Family Ministries, and a resolution to “express (the convention’s) profound gratitude to the Lord and to those whom he used to bring about a convention characterized by God’s blessings.”

“It’s been an honor for me to serve in this position,” Shaw said. “I don’t have an agenda. I just to help work for the good of everyone in our state.”