A new face is coming to Oxford, and it’s one that many of us know from Decatur. Beginning October 18, Amber Albright will begin serving in Oxford as the new ABCH Director of Northeast Alabama!

For the past eight years, Amber has served on the Decatur campus with much devotion, love, and passion for the calling the Lord has put on her life. She has helped countless families and been a part of much program growth. She now looks forward to applying many of the skills she’s cultivated in that time, both on campus and in the classroom through her Master’s work, to the Oxford area.

Amber first came to ABCH to complete an undergraduate internship in April 2008 and in that time, she shadowed and saw the start-up of Decatur’s Foster Care program and learned about Shelter and Campus Care for the first time. A native of Decatur, she had heard of ABCH and knew of the ministry, but says she really didn’t know what all it was about until she started that internship. When the semester ended, there were no positions available with us for full-time work. However, the Lord led her back just a few short months later when a spot did open, and she then eagerly resumed her ABCH journey.

In those first couple of years, Amber continued to help build the Foster Care program and licensed parents who finished GPS. She also worked to make connections in the community with DHR and get referrals for those homes. She became responsible for the children in Shelter Care and eventually began to oversee a long-term campus home in addition to the shelter.

We recently got to sit with Amber and ask her a few more questions about her time in Decatur, her family, and the time to come in Oxford:

How do you feel you’ve grown in the last eight years?

Oh, I was really timid at first, unsure of what to do. I didn’t know how I was going to make connections in the community and have homes for these children to go to.

I’ve learned so much though from the kids, from other staff members, from foster and house parents. Now, I have more self-confidence and am able to speak confidently about ABCH and the work we do. I also love being able to apply knowledge I’ve gained from grad school to what we’re doing. I can see how it all comes together—love and nurture and protection—but also the need for (strong) mental health and addressing needs that present themselves to help bring these children to a place of emotional stability.

What are some of the most fulfilling things you’ve experienced?

I’ve been able to be a part of three adoptions, one most recently this summer—seeing the joy on the adoptive parents’ faces and sensing the happiness and relief from the kids, knowing they are now part of a forever family. It’s also wonderful to see children being restored to their (biological) families, to see that work come full circle. To see parents making progress and children happy to go home, knowing they are going back to a safe environment, and we have fulfilled our duty to restore these children and their families.

Tell us a little about your family.

My husband Jeffrey and I met through my mom in 2004. We started dating that summer and married in January 2008. He is in ministry too, and he is excited about this opportunity for our family. He’s currently a youth minister, but his heart’s desire is to be a lead pastor. Some of my favorite things about him are that he is very loving, supportive, kind, really laid back, very loyal, and goes over and beyond anything anybody asks him to do.

We adopted our two-year-old, Annaleigh, in April 2014, and she has added so much joy, laughter, and love to our lives, that we can’t even put it into words. She’s so much fun! She has a big, loud personality—you never know what’s going to come out of her mouth. I love knowing that by growing up at ABCH, she’s going to know what this Ministry is all about from a deeper standpoint, as other staff children have learned.

Is there any advice you’ve received or scripture that has been especially impactful in your life?

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, “Always be joyful, never stop praying in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” When I stop to think about all the change going on around me, this helps me, knowing that God has laid this out for a reason and has been working this plan ever since I started working with the Ministry eight years ago. This move to Oxford has exceeded my expectations of what life would be like after grad school and this verse has reminded me of how He works out His will for us.

Also, there’s Annaleigh’s verse we focused on at her adoption, “Every good and perfect gift is from above,” James 1:17. In addition to her, I think about all the kids that have come through our Ministry. In God’s eyes, they are perfect, and what a joy it is to be able to serve them.

What has been your favorite thing about your work in Decatur?

The kids, by far. I love Christmas time and seeing their faces when they’re getting this unbelievable Christmas they’ve never had before, or celebrating their birthday. Some have never been on vacation, so seeing those pictures and hearing about their trips is great. And there are the little things too—getting sponsors for Valentines Day who bring treats, or churches who bring Easter baskets, for example. We get to see how much it means to the kids to simply be remembered. That’s what I love.

You mentioned learning from staff earlier. What are some of the things you’ve learned by working on a team?

We all bring different strengths to the table. And by working as a team, we essentially have all become family. When it’s a bad day, you can ask for prayer or help in another way. I’ve learned what it looks like to be there for each other and how to depend on other people. You can’t do everything. Sometimes you have to depend on your team, and Michael has been a great example to me in how he’s managed his team. He has an open door policy, and I feel like we can talk to him about anything. He’ll give you the feedback you need and help guide you through whatever it is you need to get through. I hope to create that same type of environment and relationships with our Oxford staff and community.

And what are you most excited for and looking forward to, in your move to Oxford?

So many things! The opportunity to be able to lead a campus that is so well established within the community and the opportunities waiting for us that I can’t even begin to imagine. I’m excited to get to know everyone there at the office as well as the foster families, house parents, and kids in care. Ted has huge connections to the community, so (I’m looking forward to) learning his contacts and making new ones. I have big shoes to fill for sure!

Please join us in praying for and welcoming Amber and her family to this new role in ministry!

All in the Family