Team Huddle Spotlights feature members of the CMBA ministry team and introduce their area of work and the ways they can support the ministry of our Family of Churches.
Robbie McAlister
One Priority Mobilizer
robbie.mcalister@reliant.org
Robbie McAlister is a One Priority Mobilizer focusing on church planting. His ministry involves catalyzing the starting of new congregational expressions, walking alongside churches committed to sponsoring a new congregational expression, and coaching potential church planters in assessment and readiness to plant a new congregational expression. Since beginning his role in October 2020, Robbie has worked with more than a dozen new congregational expressions across the Midlands.
“I feel one of the greatest ways to make disciples is through starting new congregational expressions and am blessed to be called to do that work,” he says.
Of his work with CMBA, Robbie says he recognizes that his role is to support churches and God’s vision for them. Part of this is assisting churches in missional endeavors including leadership development and church planting. Under the leadership and vision of CMBA Executive Director George Bullard and the Visionary Leadership Team, Robbie sees one of his key roles as representing CMBA by trying to remove barriers to missional work and coming alongside of pastors and leaders in customized service to them.
“I feel like my greatest joy comes when I help others succeed in fulfilling God’s call on their lives and seeing missional movement in our community through our CMBA churches. It really does bring great joy when we practically make Christ’s last command to make disciples of all nations our first concern,” he says.
Robbie and Ryan Dupree, another member of the CMBA Team Huddle, also team up on many issues related to internationals and immigration with a deep commitment to Christian ministry among various people groups. They each serve both with CMBA and the South Carolina Baptist Convention.
Two projects Robbie is currently engaged in are helping to build leadership pipelines for CMBA churches through networking and vision casting, and engaging churches to find out their dreams about multiplying themselves around the CMBA geography and assisting them with this work. Robbie welcomes churches that are interested in these two areas to contact him directly at (803)315-2741.
Two initiatives just beginning are a Church Multiplication Cohort in partnership with the South Carolina Baptist Convention, and a Church Planters Fellowship in the Midlands for existing and potential church planters.
Robbie holds a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry in Missions and has been a church planter, pastor and missionary in the United States and Europe. He and his wife of 37 years, Carissa, have three adult children, two daughters-in-law and grandchildren on the way. Robbie is a member of Riverbend Community Church in Lexington, where he served as church planter and former pastor.
Stay up to date on CMBA news about starting new congregational expressions, Our Family Stories, podcasts and other communications resources through the CMBA website at www.columbiametro.org and follow “Columbia Metro Baptist Association” on Facebook.