08/30/2026
🎉 Celebrating 20 Years of Pastor Buddy! 🎉
What a wonderful morning at First Baptist Church Trussville as our church family celebrated 20 years of faithful leadership by Pastor Buddy Champion! ❤️
Our vision for each member is:
Commit to Him.
Know His Ways.
Do His Work.
And Pastor Buddy is credited with adding one more unofficial line:
“Because It’s All About Him.”
Those words have characterized his ministry at FBCT. Through 20 years of growth and change, Pastor Buddy has continually reminded us that everything we do should point people to Jesus — because it really is all about Him.
And what an incredible 20 years it has been! During Pastor Buddy’s time at FBCT, we have celebrated 1,709 baptisms, welcomed 4,468 new members, and seen 1,589 professions of faith — across 1,043 Sunday mornings! 🙌 Those numbers represent so much more than statistics. They represent people, families and lives touched for the Kingdom.
Pastor Buddy is quick to give our church family the credit for that growth because of what he calls our “faithfulness.” Today, however, we had the opportunity to celebrate his faithfulness and leadership.
The 9:15 service heard special video messages from three people who know Pastor Buddy and his ministry well: former FBCT Minister of Music Joe Estes; Shades Mountain Baptist Pastor Dr. Charles Carter; and Dr. Rick Lance, Executive Director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
The 10:45 service heard from Dr. Blake Kersey of FBC Decatur; Dr. Buddy Gray, Pastor Emeritus of Hunter Street Baptist Church; and Dr. Danny Wood, Pastor Emeritus of Shades Mountain Baptist Church. We had so many testimonies and not enough time to share them all!
And then came the fun! 😊
For years, Pastor Buddy has joked about giving to the “Buddy Bahama Fund.” Today, he and Lynn were presented with the opportunity to take four weeks off for an all-expenses-paid trip wherever they choose! ✈️🏝️
He also received a year’s supply of Diet Mountain Dew and Snickers bars — two of his favorites! — and his very own soft-serve ice cream machine. As Pastor Buddy is fond of saying about our events, “If you bring it, they will come!” 🍦🤣
For Champion Farms, he received his own personalized “CF” branding iron and plans for a beautiful Champion Farms sign for the entrance to their property. And Lynn, who has served faithfully alongside him through these 20 years, was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. 💐
Three of their four daughters were also able to be there to share in the celebration: Macie Champion Patridge, Dailey Champion, and Grace Champion. (Sierra Champion was not able to attend.)
It was a beautiful morning filled with laughter, memories, gratitude and love for a pastor and family who mean so much to our church.
Pastor Buddy and Lynn, thank you for 20 years of loving, serving and leading First Baptist Church Trussville. We are grateful for you, and we pray God’s richest blessings on the years ahead.
Because It’s All About Him. ❤️🙏
First Baptist Church Trussville
