The passing of the gavel symbolizes a transfer of leadership and the sounding of the gavel signifies proper order and government and is a familiar sound to us in the Church. The Overseer gives the opening statement, “By the authority vested in me,” and a formal declaration, “for all business to properly come before the Convention,” and in many cases it commences and concludes with the “tap, tap, tap.”
The recent change of appointments at the highest tribunal of authority, brings about such transition of leadership with the purpose and determination of continuing forward and faithfully building atop the good labors of the previous leaders. Alabama has had 39 State Overseers through the years, one taking the reins as the next was called to other fields of labor. The first State Overseer, V. W. Kennedy was appointed January 7, 1911 during the 6th Annual General Assembly.
- V. W. Kennedy 1911-1912
- George C. Barron (-Dec.) 1912
- J. B. Ellis (Jan.-Nov.) 1913
- George T. Brouayer (Nov.-Dec.) 1913
- W. S. Gentry 1914-1915
- T. S. Payne 1916-1917
- J. B. Ellis 1917-1918
- Z. D. Simpson 1919-1920
- W. S. Wilemon 1921-1922
- G. C. Dunn 1922-Disruption
- George T. Brouayer 1923-1924
- T. J. Byerly 1924-1925
- L. A. Moxley 1925-1929
- H. R. Jacobs 1929-1930
- W. T. Holland 1930-1931
- M. C. Harvey 1931-1932
- W. I. Campbell 1932-1933
- W. T. Holland 1933-1938
- G. W. Durham 1938-1944
- C. J. Cunningham 1944-1947
- Roy Phipps 1947-1958
- L. V. Jones Sr. 1958-1960
- E. A. McDonald 1960-1964
- Amos Creel 1964-1968
- James Staggs 1968-1973
- M. S. Curry 1973-1978
- Harper Hunter 1978-1982
- Hubert Vicars 1982-1987
- J. Eddie Mounce 1987-1991
- Hugh Edwards 1992 – Disruption
- James Staggs 1993-1995
- J. C. Robinson 1995-2004
- James C. Anders 2004-2005
- James Nabors Finish 2005
- Jim O. Carr 2005-2006
- James C. Anders 2006-2007
- Robert J. Hawkins 2007-2010
- James R. Horne 2010-2018
- Jerry Cox 2018-Present
As Alabama receives its new Overseer on October 1st, please be encouraged to support, pray for and embrace Brother Cox and his family. They are dear friends that love holiness, the Church, her doctrine and Advice, and they will continue, as so many of those who have served before them, to work for the good of the State.
“Obey them that that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17).