On Sunday, Sept. 11, Boothbay Baptist Church honored its long-time members Alfred and Rebecca Roberts by celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with a luncheon after the worship service. During the service the Roberts family played and sang the music.

The following is the tribute that was read at the luncheon:

It is a real privilege to celebrate and honor two of our longest-serving members (I would say oldest but that doesn’t sound good and is not true). Al and Becky are two dynamic individuals but they really are one, in spirit and in service – and it is this oneness, 50 years strong, that we celebrate today.

Becky has been coming to Boothbay Baptist Church since she was a little girl walking to Sunday School from her home on the corner of Country Club Road, and except for a brief exile in Massachusetts, she has been a faithful member for over 60 years. She has used her musical gifts playing the organ or piano in services since she was 11 and has been the music and choir director for decades – can you say “cantata”? – not to mention Sunday School teacher, youth and adult fellowship leader, Word of Life Teens Involved leader, and all-around servant of the Lord.

And Al? Well, he has been along for the ride, winning the girl who was BRHS Class Valedictorian while he was voted Class Clown in 1961. He had his eye on Becky all through high school but she reportedly wouldn’t give him the time of day. He says he came to church here because he was more interested in the organist than in God, but halleluiah, the Lord used that to bring this jester to Jesus. Eventually, after a long-distance romance of letters written throughout their college years (she was at U. Maine Orono, he at Univ. of Miami), he won her over with his sincerity and charm and they were married by Pastor Don Smith right here in this church, in the old chapel on Sept. 3, 1966.

And what a testimony for the Lord their marriage has been! We are teasing when we say Al has been along for the ride because he is a natural leader. Probably one of the few times he has not been in the driver’s seat is when he and Becky were Grand Marshals of the Windjammer Parade and had to ride in the back seat! Al’s social proclivities, initiative and drive, along with his self-deprecating humor and faithful optimism, have propelled him as a leader of family, church and indeed the whole community. Here at BBC he has taught Sunday School, served as an Elder, and had a large part in raising funds and building the sanctuary. And we can’t forget his signature emceeing of concerts, services, special events, and some questionable newlywed-type games at adult fellowship gatherings!

For 27 years they ran the Little Ponderosa Campground in Boothbay, as much a ministry as a business, where they held weekly Gospel concerts, church services and faith-based retreats while expanding the campground and building up a network of hundreds of close friends. Their testimony of centering their lives and marriage on Christ has been evident in every aspect of experience, whether here at church, at the campground, or in their professions. They have led church services for the elderly at the Gregory Wing for years as well as Christmas caroling on the Common, and Al’s performing of hundreds of funerals for local folks led to the founding of their outreach ministry, the Boothbay Region Community Fellowship. Wherever they are, whatever they do, they both have preached the gospel not only in word but also in deed. Al’s integrity and leadership earned him the Rotary Club’s Lifetime Service Award in 2011, a well-deserved honor and recognition by the community.

I don’t know their favorite colors but Al and Becky radiate red, white and blue. They have always fostered patriotism, love of liberty and appreciation for our nation’s Christian heritage, lifting up our military and paying tribute to veterans in both church and community venues such as the Memorial Day parade when Al has led the prayer. This love of country spurred them to establish the Alumni-Community Band in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, providing a legacy of patriotic music which has enriched us all and contributed to the flavor of Americana which visitors to our region savor.

Today, September 11, is the 15th anniversary of the unspeakable attack on our nation which threatened to bury our American spirit. It is fitting that we honor Al and Becky today, on this poignant anniversary, because it was they who initiated and helped coordinate a region-wide prayer service which drew hundreds of people to walk up Route 27 to the YMCA where members of many churches sang, prayed and grieved for our lost countrymen. It was a crucial time of bringing the community together.

Their leadership, their vision, and their commitment to God have truly made a difference, both in the community and in our church. Throughout the decades, in good times and difficult times, as others have come and gone, Al & Becky have remained steadfast and faithful to this church. We are blessed to call them our brother and sister in the Lord and grateful for their example of fidelity, perseverance and servanthood. We are blessed, too, to have had the fruit of their marriage – children and grandchildren – active in our church family.

The Class Valedictorian and Class Clown we would vote today as among the Most Likely to Succeed in pleasing the Lord.

Nothing left to say, except: Happy and blessed 50th anniversary, Al and Becky!