With approximately 70 local churches in its ranks, the Odessa Ministerial Alliance's newly re-elected president, the Rev. Michael Mueller, has a few plans for the local religious entity.
He said the purpose of the alliance, essentially, is to take on the issues facing each church from a community-wide stance that not only strengthens the whole and makes it more than the sum of its parts, but also pools all of its member churches' shepherding experience.
"We can learn from one another," Mueller said. "Jesus prayed that we would be known by our unity. That's how they would know that this was part of the body of Christ, is that we would be one as He and the Father were one."
During his second consecutive year as the OMA president, Mueller said, he hopes to bring a renewed sense of unity to not only Odessa's churches, but to all churches in the greater Odessa/Midland area.
The Rev. Roy Gentry, pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church and the president of the Southside Ministerial alliance, said the two sister alliances seemed to have "dropped the ball" lately when it comes to their day-to-day efforts to work with each other across the city of Odessa.
"I look forward to strengthening it and I believe the pastors of the ministerial alliance of the south side look forward to doing it," Gentry said. "I don't see a lot of obstacles there. We just need to make our minds up and do it."
Like Mueller, Gentry said he believes the power of the various alliances' common belief in Jesus far exceeds that of their differences, whether theological or cultural.

If you go
>> What:The Odessa Ministerial Alliance.

>> Who:Local clergy and laypeople.

>> When: The second Tuesday of every month (not during summer, only during ECISD school year).

>> Where: Various churches around town.

>> For more information, contact the Rev. Yolanda Fish at 337-3526.