Bessemer Stake Latter-Day Saints

09/22/2019

Here is the result of our special Stake Conference this morning. The Church is growing in this part of the Lord’s vineyard.

09/21/2019

Just a reminder:

Standing with the Leaders of the Church

09/14/2019

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are grateful to be able to gather for stake conference on September 22, 2019. The venue for the conference will be Bill Harris Arena at the Birmingham Crossplex (2337 Bessemer Road, Birmingham, AL 35208). As part of the conference, Bessemer Stake and Birmingham Stake will be reorganized, and an additional stake will be created. Elder Vern P. Stanfill, General Authority Seventy and First Counselor in the North America Southeast Area Presidency, will preside; he will be accompanied by Elder Peter M. Johnson, General Authority Seventy. The conference will begin at 10:00 AM. We ask that you be seated at least 20 minutes before the start time.

As part of your preparation for stake conference, we ask that you read Standing with the Leaders of the Church, by Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Ensign, May 2016 (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2016/05/saturday-afternoon-session/standing-with-the-leaders-of-the-church?lang=eng). We invite all to attend and to prepare for personal revelation as we are instructed by the Lord’s anointed.
We are grateful for all you do to become, and help others to become, true followers of Jesus Christ and enjoy the blessings of the holy temple. We look forward to seeing you on September 22nd.

Kind regards,
Bessemer Alabama Stake Presidency

Standing with the Leaders of the Church

09/09/2019

Happy 95th birthday President Russell M Nelson! We love you! 🎉🎉🎂❤️❤️

09/06/2019

From President Barry Sadler
Bessemer Stake President:

I am excited to announce that we will hold a special stake conference on Sunday September 22nd at 10am (location should be finalized by this weekend) to reorganize the Bessemer and Birmingham stakes and create a third stake. Elder Vern P. Stanfill, General Authority Seventy, (1st counselor in the NASE Area Presidency) will preside. He will be accompanied by Elder Peter M. Johnson, General Authority Seventy. We can begin to announce the conference and the new stake immediately. Details about which units will be in which stake will be announced at the conference.

Key Dates:
Sep 15 - Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults (ages 18-30, single and married)
Sep 18 - Temple Cleaning Assignment (Hoover Ward)
Sep 22 - Special Stake Conference
Sep 29 - Fast Sunday
Sep 29 - Children & Youth Initiative Presentation
Oct 5&6 - General Conference

09/06/2019

Happy birthday President Russell M Nelson! We love and sustain you!

The Bonner Family, Nathan Pacheco, GENTRI and Jenny Oaks Baker and Family Four share their thoughts on the opportunity to perform for President Russell M. Nelson's 95th birthday celebration.

05/17/2019

Here’s a reminder of locations, times and how to prepare for the Bessemer Alabama Stake Conference starting tomorrow!

We are excited to announce that Elder Michael V. Beheshti of the Seventy will preside at our stake conference on May 18 and 19.
We invite all to attend and participate in this uplifting and revelatory experience. Please, please make this conference a priority for you and your family. The conference schedule is given below.
As you prepare for conference, we invite you to study and ponder the following talks (all can be found on LDS.org). We promise that as you prepare to be taught by the Holy Ghost you will receive the personal revelation needed at this time of your life.

From the April 2019 General Conference:
"We Can Do Better and Be Better" by President Russell M. Nelson
"Careful versus Casual" by Becky Craven
"Come, Follow Me" by President Russell M. Nelson
As you spiritually prepare, we humbly ask that you prayerfully identify ONE individual or ONE family to invite and to attend Stake Conference with you. Thank you for your love, your service, and your sacrifice.

The meeting schedule will be as follows:

Leadership Session - Saturday May 18th, 3-5pm at the Bessemer Stake Center (for all members of stake, ward, and branch councils along with their presidencies)
Saturday Evening Session - Saturday May 18th, 6-8pm at the Bessemer Stake Center (for adults and youth that are Priest/Laurel age)

Sunday Session - Sunday May 19th, 10-12am at the McChesney Student Activity Center on the Campus of the University of Montevallo (all are invited to attend this session). Address: 61 College Dr, Montevallo, AL 35115

05/06/2019

Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued a policy Monday morning requiring couples who marry civilly to wait one year before being sealed in the temple.

05/01/2019

Relationship Building Through Family History

By Bishop Ricky Harmon, Columbiana Ward, Bessemer Alabama Stake

Never in my lifetime did I think I would see this change of heart.

Columbiana is a small town in central Alabama, with a population that has grown from 2,600 to 4,600 over the last 40 years. It’s the seat of Shelby County and known for its proximity to beautiful Lay Lake. More importantly, it’s a close-knit community that’s focused on family and God. From the 200 block of North Main Street, you can see four churches, each a different denomination but all focused on serving and loving.

When the Columbiana Branch formed in 1988, it was warmly welcomed by city leaders but met with skepticism by residents. For over 20 years the branch experienced little progress towards acceptance despite numerous attempts by members to bring the church out of obscurity. All-too-familiar stigmas persisted and the Church remained an outsider.

In 2009, leaders in the now Columbiana Ward asked what we could offer that was unique to our unit and different in our communities. The answer was our family history center. This was our chance to use the growing genealogy craze to serve those within our boundaries. In 2010, a breakfast was held at the ward building followed by presentations to the city councils about our Family History Center and the resource it was to the community.

We escalated our efforts by organizing a refurbishment project of the Columbiana City Cemetery in cooperation with the City of Columbiana, the Shelby County Historical Society, Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance, Hoover and Alabaster wards, and the Emmanuel Temple Holiness Church. The service project was followed by a Celebrate Success event at the Church meetinghouse where 80+ non-member guests and over 200 total participants heard presentations about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, toured the meetinghouse, enjoyed food and recognized all the contributors to the cemetery refurbishment project. Two years of additional projects were completed before the effort culminated in a ribbon cutting ceremony in which the cemetery was rededicated and a sign featuring the Church’s name was unveiled.

Through this multi-year service project, trust and new relationships developed opening more doors and opportunities. We served alongside our Baptist and Methodist neighbors, including hosting family history workshops for their congregations. Missionaries taught genealogy classes to senior members of the Columbiana Baptist Church inside their building, provided guided tours of historic downtown Columbiana and worked as volunteers teaching family history research at the Shelby County Museum and Archives.

Over time and with dedication, hearts have changed through sharing with our community and neighboring churches what we have in common: a love for our families and ancestors. City leaders now call us for help because they know we will respond. They now know we not only preach the doctrine of Christ, but we live it. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints viewed as a leader and example in the community. It is a miracle I never thought would happen in my lifetime and is unfolding more and more each day.