Kris Banister Memorial Golf Tournament

ABCH has flourished through the years because of the blessings of God and the continued faithfulness of the churches and friends that support us. These have offered financial and other forms of support to the ministry, especially in its early years and during the Great Depression when cash was very limited. At those times, churches and individuals filled railroad cars with food and sent them to ministry locations to make sure the children did not go hungry. The children and staff also stayed busy working the ministry’s farms and gardens. Many of the “old timers” from ABCH have fond memories of dozens of children gathering around large tables with basic, but ample food for the day.

The ministry of ABCH began through the efforts of Rev. John Stewart. His dream of a childcare ministry, provided by Alabama Baptists, became a reality in 1891 with the construction of a home in Evergreen, AL. In 1923, ABCH’s leadership recognized the need for relocation and moved to Troy, AL.

In 1927, the ministry began to expand its services when Dr. J.O. Colley, ABCH superintendent, led in the development of a mother’s aide program. Through this program, the ministry began to help children stay with their biological families by giving financial and other assistance to mothers in need. The ministry further expanded in 1964 when its first group home in central Alabama was opened in Birmingham. Five years later the campus serving north Alabama began operation in Decatur. In 1970, the agency was given the former Protestant Children’s Home in Mobile, strengthening the capacity of ABCH to provide services statewide.

Though many children and youth respond well to group homes, other children require more specialized placement. From this need came the foster care ministry, which has grown to serve more children annually than the group home setting we began with. Physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, and other emergency situations also brought a need for immediate placement for some children. In 1983, the first emergency shelter for such children opened on the Troy Campus. Today, emergency shelters are provided on the Decatur Campus and in a group care facility in Oxford.

In an effort to further serve the mental and emotional needs of the children, Pathways Professional Counseling opened its doors in 1995. Although our professional counseling ministry began specifically to serve children, we have expanded our services to the general public serving men, women, and children as part of our “Family Ministries” namesake.

In 1997, the ministry again decided to relocate, and so sold its property in Troy and moved its administrative offices to Birmingham and began the process of opening other ministry centers across the state. Today, we have offices in Birmingham, Decatur, Dothan, Oxford, and Mobile and we offer professional counseling services in over 35 locations.

What began as a small home for children in Evergreen has grown to be the state’s most diverse childcare ministry. Many changes have occurred during our history, but the core commitment to love children and youth and to bring them to know Jesus Christ has never changed. Today, we proudly continue our legacy as a ministry that “protects, nurtures, and restores children and families through Christ-centered services.”