WBA Restructures & Kenny Heath Retires

By Sharon Mager

CUMBERLAND, Md. — Messengers to the Western Baptist Association (WBA) annual meeting on Sept. 29 at Cumberland Community Church met to worship together, discuss a new organizational transition, and honor WBA Associational Missionary Kenny Heath, who retired on Sept. 30, and his wife, Deborah.

During the business session, messengers voted to install a ministry coordinator rather than a full-time associational missionary/director of missions. The coordinator will work on a limited part-time basis and, in cooperation with the leadership team, will help facilitate and equip churches. He will bring together resources from within WBA churches drawing on church strengths to assist one another, as well as utilizing resources from the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and the Southern Baptist Convention. John Zeigler, the pastor of Ferndale Church, Oakland, who serves on the leadership team, told messengers the new structure may need tweaking along the way, but that’s okay since it’s a new way of operating. They’re trusting God and His leadership over it all. Messengers approved Joe Saweikis, lead teaching elder of Mountain City Church, Frostburg, as acting coordinator for a two-year term.

Following the meeting, messengers enjoyed a meal together and honored the Heaths with congratulations, stories, and many words of appreciation and encouragement. Mark Dooley, BCM/D associate executive director, presented Kenny with a plaque thanking him for his years of faithful service. The plaque read, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters “ (Col. 3:23).

Many came forward, affirming that Kenny and Deborah indeed gave their all. Several mentioned fair ministry, where Kenny served as chaplain and built relationships with fair staff and carnival workers and camp ministry, where he assumed various roles and many told how the Heaths personally cared for their churches and for their families.

Kenny said, “A lot of you have known us a long time, and dear brothers and sisters on the mountain, you know me even more. I’m not from here, but I sure wish I was because as much as I love the home where I was born (North Carolina), this is home. I give thanks to God for you.”

He shared that he and Deborah, from their own experiences, know the struggles pastors often face and they, as a couple, felt, when called to associational ministry, that along with equipping and helping churches, they were to care for, love and serve pastors, pastors’ wives, and their families,

Deborah said, “God has blessed us with wonderful churches, people, pastors and wives to work with. We weren’t here to direct. That’s why Kenny always preferred the title associational missionaries. We were here to work with you and be of help.” Reflecting on the years, she said, “I feel like God has had us in heaven for 27 years.”

Kenny brought the meeting to a close by praying for the pastors and the WBA. He thanked God for Deborah, their ministry together, and for serving a large portion of their ministry in Western Maryland near West Virginia and Pennsylvania, “the last place we could have ever imagined at the time, but now it seems like, could there be any other?” Heath thanked God for what He is doing in the midst of the churches and prayed for the new organizational structure. “Would you bless them together as an association; bless each one as a church; bless, please dear Lord, each pastor, pastor’s wife and pastor’s child. Protect them, fill them, meet their needs, bind their wounds. and as I learned here in these dear mountains, we will be careful to give you the glory.”

Sharon Mager serves as BCM/D communication specialist/BaptistLife editor