After nearly 25 years of “traditional” pastoral experience, Morris Johnson was preparing to retire. Relaxing vacations and much-needed rest were in his plans. But one day as he was watching a church service on TV, Pastor Morris learned again that God’s plans are not always our plans.

He says it felt like the choir on TV was singing straight to him that morning. The words pierced his heart. “God didn’t bring you this far to relax or be comfortable,” Pastor Morris remembers. God used that local church choir to issue a fresh call on his life. He knew he was supposed to do something he had never done before—begin a new church plant.

Through various conversations, Pastor Morris was connected with the Church Planting office at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. He and his wife, Derry, participated in training classes and became part of the coaching network that serves to equip and empower church planters around the state. They were entrusted with resources and tools to help them as they began a new work in Hueytown. Soon Integrity Baptist Church began making an eternal difference in a community that desperately needed hope.