SPANISH FORT, Ala. — The story of Providence United Methodist Church is one of commitment and compassion, said Rev. Bob Sweet, who will usher in the congregation’s ninth year as a chartered church on Sunday.

“The church was intentional before I got here,” said Sweet, who was appointed by the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference in June 2003.

Eventually, the congregation shifted from holding services in David’s Catfish House to a more permanent home and a strict growth and development plan.

“These people wanted to stay within the United Methodist Church, and when I got here, there was already a lot of talk among a group of about 100 who wanted to be a chartered church,” he said.

Sweet admits he was a bit concerned by one of the group’s primary tenets for organization: adherence to traditional services amid a nationwide revival driven by services that are more contemporary.

“They knew what they were talking about, though, and I’ve been surprised by how many people don’t care for contemporary church. There may be a point years down the line when we have to shift, but for right now the only nontraditional thing about Providence is that our services start at 10 a.m.,” he said, adding, “It’s a very warm and welcoming atmosphere, though. We’re a pretty lively bunch, so I’d call us informally traditional.”

And with a congregation of about 350 that averages around 175 parishioners each Sunday, Sweet said he is expecting a strong turnout for Sunday’s anniversary celebration.

“We’ll take time during the sermon to look back on from whence we came and continue casting a vision for where we’re going,” he said, noting dinner on the grounds will follow Sunday’s service.

Sweet said he has been moved by the congregation’s ongoing commitment to missions that actually date to their very first organizational meeting. Leftover funds from money collected to rent a conference room for the brainstorming session was given to a family whose home had burned — and the rest is history.

“We have a mission moment during every worship service where we update everybody on the opportunities to serve and make a difference in the community,” he said.

Sweet said the congregation also tithes its collective tithe, or sets aside 10 percent of the annual financial pledges from members for missions.

“It’s one line-item we never worry about pinching pennies on,” he said. “If at the end of the year we haven’t used it up, we’ll start writing checks to different agencies across Baldwin and Mobile counties that we know are in need,” Sweet said.

Specifically, the congregation is strongly committed to assisting Prodisee Pantry and Relay for Life because of the organizations’ commitment to serving local communities.

“This congregation simply amazes me in that they almost seem to look for opportunities to help, whether it’s with the tsunami in Japan or the earthquakes in Haiti or the tornadoes in Alabama,” Sweet said.

Thom Dumas, Providence’s youth director, said the extremely engaged group returned only Wednesday from a mission trip to Yantely, Ala., a community “extremely affected” by the April 27 tornadoes that ripped through the northern part of the state.

“We put on a crisis intervention camp for children affected by the disaster. The children were encouraged to discuss the tornadoes and their feelings about it with the use of games, arts and crafts and music,” Dumas said.

Encounter, the youth ministry, not only volunteers every Tuesday morning and Wednesday night at the pantry, but also volunteers across the Eastern Shore, takes tubing trips, ski retreats, participates in summer camp and regularly takes part in regional mission trips, he said.

Sweet said the congregation’s growth plans remain incredibly controlled and financially conservative — as they have since the day they bid farewell to the catfish house.

The group originally converted a rented office complex on Stagecoach Road into its first quarters before building and moving into its current quarters on Jimmy Faulkner Drive between Spanish Fort High and Spanish Fort Middle schools. This first phase of a long-range master plan includes a sanctuary, Sunday school rooms, a fellowship hall, offices and a kitchen.

“We’d gone for about six years without paying a mortgage, so we’d built up some pretty good capital, but then the financial crunch hit, and everybody took a step back,” he said.

The second phase calls for construction of a larger sanctuary to accommodate Providence’s growth, while the third phase would create an educational building.

“We’ve been able to maintain this debt pretty responsibly without sacrificing our 10 percent to missions, and we also have asked (members) to give an anniversary gift to the church this Sunday that would not go to the general operating budget but toward paying down the mortgage,” he said.