The Odum Ministerial Alliance

In the spring of 1997, five ministers and their spouses met at the Odum Church of God and formed the Odum Ministerial Alliance to work closely together for the betterment of the community. They agreed that, as pastors and ministers in general, they needed to provide a close bond of love and fellowship between themselves and their congregations. They wanted to work together on projects that would benefit widows, the elderly, and underprivileged, as well as the unchurched. The original five members were: Dr. Ron Treadway and his wife Ellen of Odum Church of God; Rev. Hayward Bass and his wife Jeanette of Odum Baptist Church; Rev. Norma Jean Thomas and her husband Rudy of Odum United Methodist Church; and Rev. Ira Dent and his wife Bessie. Rev. Dent, now deceased, pastored outside of the county at that time. Mrs. Bessie (now deceased) held a certificate as a lay speaker in the United Methodist Church, and had been the speaker in church services at the closing of Odum Day. Rev. Iris Merritt and spouse James (now deceased) pastored the Ephesus Church of God in Appling County.

Dr. Ron Treadway became the first President, with others holding various positions. In 1998, Rev. Tony Stewart assumed the pastorate of Odum Church of God, and Rev. Hayward Bass became the president and served faithfully for seven and a half years; his wife Jeanette served as secretary. In 1999, Rev. Todd McDaniel came to Odum to pastor the Odum Church of God.

Around 1999, Rev. Earl Williams and his wife Sally came to the Odum Grove Baptist Church and joined the alliance, bringing two of his ministers, Rev. Vince and Rev. Sherry Beal, with him. They became a great help in establishing some of the alliance's activities. That same year, Rev. Carlos Herrera, pastor of the Hispanic congregation at Piney Grove United Methodist, joined the alliance. In July 2001, Rev. Darrell Carter and his wife Stella came to Pastor Odum United Methodist Church. In 2003, having gone through the Ministerial Internship Program, Rev. Joe Carter and his wife, Lori, became associate pastor of the Odum Church of God and joined the alliance. In the spring of 2004, Rev. Steve Hardeman became pastor of the Odum Church of God. Early in 2005, Rev. Jimmy Highsmith, a Wayne County native, became pastor at the Church of God.

The Alliance was not formed to hinder the Odum ministers from participating in the Wayne County Ministerial Association, but to make it more convenient for the Odum congregations to participate in patriotic events such as the Annual March for Jesus, See You at The Pole, and The National Day of Prayer breakfast. Some of the combined efforts of the Alliance have been carrying welcome baskets to all new residents of the Odum area, and purchasing groceries for needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. The churches also join together for community services on the evening of fifth Sundays, for Easter Sunrise Service at Odum Baptist, and for the Odum Homecoming Community Service. They have painted the homes of some of the widows in Odum, built doorsteps, fixed windows, repaired and painted porches, and participated in the Thanksgiving and Christmas activities on the town square each year. They also purchase a booth each year at Odum Day, giving out free ice water, mints, and distributing free literature. Offerings from the fifth Sunday night services have helped finance these projects.