This month’s cover profile is wife, mother and friend to many, Adele Slaton. From hours volunteering at church and Life on Wheels to spending time with friends and a large family, this lady keeps busy. No wonder her favorite thing to do in the evenings is to simply be at home relaxing with husband, Slats, and dog, Lily. We think you’ll be inspired by Adele and her zest for life, love for others, and commitment to her God. A commitment that shines in all she does for our community and beyond.

BOOM!: Please give us a brief biography, i.e., where you’re from, your education, what brought you to the Montgomery area, your children, your family, etc.

Adele: I grew up in Birmingham, the second of five children. My mother was a homemaker and my father a general surgeon. My father was an old-fashioned doctor who made house calls and accepted payments of whatever patients could afford. I remember one patient gave him bags of sweet potatoes from which my mother made sweet potato pies. 🙂 Also, when kids in the neighborhood got hurt, they would come to our house for a few stitches or to get patched up. My mother was an avid gardener. Later in life, she cared for over 150 rose bushes! We always had beautiful, fragrant roses in our house.

I went to The University of Alabama, and those four years were the most fun, fabulous, and carefree years of my life! As a freshman, I actually whistled when I walked to class.

I graduated in 1978 with a major in Economics. After graduation, I moved back to Birmingham and worked for NCR selling teller and proof equipment to Banks. Three years later, I moved to Atlanta and worked 7 years with Citicorp and sold financial instruments. In 1987, I moved back to Birmingham and worked in Commercial Real Estate for 5 years. I met my husband, Slats Slaton, in 1993 and we married in 1994 when I was 38. I moved to his home in Montgomery, where I worked briefly in commercial real estate leasing and property management, before deciding to stay home when I had our baby. Slats and I have one child, Emme Slaton, now 27, who graduated from Auburn University. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina where she works as an account manager with a cloud-based communication company.

In 2002, our family moved to Decatur, Alabama, where Slats relocated his advertising business, The Slaton Agency. Not long after our move, I became a volunteer at a local ministry called Refuge of Grace. Working with the local court system, Refuge of Grace was a faith-based home for certain women who were released from jail. The program provided a variety of classes on topics such as Addiction, Parenting, Bible Studies, Car Maintenance, Cooking, and so on. Several churches were also involved in this program.

Our daughter Emme was five years old when we moved to Decatur, and she attended Decatur Heritage Christian Academy, a small private Christian school. We lived in this community for 13 years and thoroughly enjoyed it. Slats loved his new work environment, and I made close, lifelong friends. The small community proved to be a wonderful environment for Emme’s childhood.

In 2015, when Emme left for Auburn, Slats and I decided to move back to Montgomery, which was closer to his primary client, family members, and old friends. We joined Christchurch Anglican and were immediately at home since a lot of the membership were close friends from when we lived here before. We built a house in Hampstead where I’ve made a number of new friends. I really love the neighborhood and enjoy living in Montgomery!

BOOM!: Do you have time to be involved in the community, church, or civic organizations? What are some of the organizations/projects you serve and why?

Adele: Retirement and this stage of life, in general, affords me plenty of time to give to this community. Of all of the jobs I’ve ever had, my current position as a Client Advocate for Life on Wheels is probably my favorite. The ministry’s Mission Statement is: “We use the power of Ultrasound to Serve women, Save babies, and Share Jesus.” We operate out of a RV (the Ultrasound Bus) that was designed to function as a medical clinic, and we take it to several locations all over the city. We go where women need us.

Our job is to provide support, love and knowledge to women battling fear and hopelessness.

After completing a little bit of paperwork, the client is led to the back room so we can talk privately. This is where I get to learn about her and her situation. I’m generally told about the father of the baby, her living conditions, whether she is working, and her financial situation. This information allows us to determine what services are needed. If she is considering abortion, we talk about her feelings and her fears, why she is considering terminating the pregnancy, and we discuss other options. We inform her about the numerous state and local services that are available to her and her baby, including WIC, Medicaid, Gift of Live (a service which provides a nurse to walk with her through the pregnancy and the first few years of her child’s life.) We always refer her to a pregnancy center that offers long-term services.

Without question, the ultrasound is our most powerful tool. The moment the mother sees her baby’s heartbeat on the monitor, everything changes. 89% of women considering abortion change their mind after experiencing this. In addition, there is the power of the Gospel. Before she leaves, we share the Good News with her and give her a Bible. Also, if she doesn’t have a church home, we refer her to a church in the community which best fits her needs. We partner with numerous churches in the River Region who will love on her and her family and will disciple them. This is always a sweet way to send her on her way. We always follow up with her until she has seen her doctor. Finally, we encourage her to bring her new baby to see us as we have a gift for her.

Another current role I enjoy is with Christchurch, where I serve as Director of our Newcomer Ministry. This involves assigning greeters for each service, who join me to stand at the church entrance and greet everyone who enters our church. With the help of Julie Mann and Catlin Tench, we keep an eye out for new visitors. We welcome these guests, show them Christ’s love, and introduce them to other members and the priests. But it doesn’t stop there. We also follow-up and continue to care for these newcomers and help them find friends or a ministry that suits them. I also serve as a member of Daughters of the Holy Cross at Christchurch, which is an Order of women committed to making disciples and serving Jesus through our Rule of Life: prayer, study, service and evangelism.

BOOM!: As you’ve aged, how have your priorities changed? How would you describe what it means to “age well”? What are your thoughts on retirement?

Adele: My priorities have definitely changed as I’ve “matured.” (I don’t like the word ‘aged’). At this stage of life, I have a handful of really close friends, and go to fewer social events than I used to. I also find that I’m less concerned with what other people think. I get pleasure from simple things like growing Zinnias and other wildflowers at our Community Garden. I also enjoy working out and exercising regularly. Slats and I both have large families, which makes it fun to get together. My favorite is spending quiet evenings at home. Another nice addition to my routine has been spending time with our neighbor’s 3-year-old twin girls and watching them grow. And last but certainly not least is our dog, Lily, who is a huge part of our lives! She is sweet, obedient (most of the time), and very much a Mama’s baby. She is at her happiest at night when she sleeps between Slats and me.

BOOM!: As a woman of faith, would you share your Christian journey and the guidance God has provided?

Adele: My Christian journey has been long and is similar to that of the parable of the four soils in the book of Matthew. As a child, the bits of scripture I heard never reached me – like the seeds on the path that were eaten by birds. In high school, friends shared the Gospel with me and I was really excited. I went to their church and attended their Bible studies and loved hearing Jesus’ teachings. However, just like the seeds in rocky soil, God’s word had no foundation, and the distractions of high school times lured me away. Then, in my 20s, I was re-introduced to Jesus and His teachings, learned a lot, and was eager to learn more. But my job involved a transfer to Atlanta, and once again, the “thorns” of travel, work, and an active social life took over and God’s place in my heart was strangled out. A few years after moving back to Birmingham, my Christian Journey was “jumpstarted” by an adult Christian retreat called Cursillo (The Anglican Church has a similar retreat called Paseo) – and it was an amazing experience. Finally, God’s love had taken root in my heart. And not only that, it was at this retreat that I met my Slats. After that weekend, with his support and encouragement, I started to attend church regularly and spend time with other Christians. Through small groups at the church I started actually reading the Bible and came to understand the Gospel.

Becoming a true believer has been a process of learning and walking closer to Jesus. Of course, I’m always falling short, but I return to Him again and again, and each time, his arms are open. Today, my faith and service to Jesus is the most important thing in my life.

BOOM!: What do you like about living in the Montgomery/River Region area? What do we need more of?

Adele: I really enjoy living in the River Region! People here are friendly and open. I’m fortunate to have members of Slats’ family here in town, along with close friends and a great church home. Montgomery is a wonderful city and it’s been exciting to watch it grow in recent years. As the state capital, with new restaurants, shops and hotels, the Biscuits Stadium – not to mention the river development – there is great energy here that gives the city the potential to be even better. As with any community, it’s not perfect and there is always room for improvement. So, I would encourage anyone seeking change, to get involved and be an instrument in bringing that change about.

BOOM!: How do you like to relax and wind down from a day full of activity?

Adele: After a long day, I like to come home and just chill. If I have the energy, I may walk or ride my bike with Lily. I also love to pop by a neighbor’s house to visit. Afterwards, I cook dinner with Slats. Then we typically watch the news or maybe a movie or read. Of course, every day is a little different, but no matter what, I love being at home!

BOOM!: How do you like to spend time with family and friends?

Adele: My favorite thing to do is to spend time with my family. Since my daughter Emme lives 9 hours away, it’s always special when she comes home. The three of us will go to dinner, take walks, watch movies, and just chill. On occasion, we’ll rent a place at the beach and spend time together there. And then there’s the annual family get-together for Thanksgiving. All of the members of my family – my siblings, their spouses and children and grandchildren all get together. This year we will be in Charleston at my sister Emily’s house. She lives two blocks from the bay in Mt. Pleasant and it’s a great 3-4 days of cooking, walking, bike rides, hanging out by the fire, and big family meals.

As for friends, I’ve always said that if a woman has good girlfriends, she can be happy anywhere! I’m fortunate in this department. Here in Hampstead, I routinely visit with neighbors on afternoons, and I exercise in the mornings with other friends at the Hampstead Gym. I’m also blessed to be married to a man with four sisters – all who live nearby. I have great friends from when I lived here before and I’m blessed with friendships through Christchurch. These friendships deepen with time and shared experiences and with the foundation of serving God.

BOOM!: Many people, as they age, experience a renewed sense of purpose, new goals, etc. How would you describe this sense of renewal in your life? Any advice for the rest of us seeking renewal?

Adele: My mother used the following term and now I get it, “A purpose other than thou.”

BOOM!: What are some of your favorite travel experiences? Favorite getaway spot? Are any travel dreams planned?

Adele: I love to travel! When I was single, I traveled nationally and internationally. Favorite trips include France for 2 weeks with two other girls, bicycling through Germany and Maine with groups, and a trip with six friends to Brazil, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Slats and I have taken some nice trips together including a stay in Athens, Greece followed by a cruise with stops at surrounding islands like Crete, Patmos and Ithaca. We also went with a group to Hawaii in 2004. And then over the years, we have taken a number of nice family trips to places like the Bahamas, New York and California. These days, Slats has little interest in long trips, however, I continue traveling with friends and church groups when these opportunities present themselves. In 2010 I joined some friends on a trip to India and Nepal and witnessing that culture was fascinating! From the smells and sounds of the busy streets of New Delhi to the majesty of the Taj Mahal to the beautiful mountains and quaint villages in Nepal, it truly was another world!

In 2017, I joined a mission trip to the mountains of Uganda with Christchurch. The Sebei Diocese of the Anglican Church in Uganda is special to us because they gave our church a home and a Bishop when we first joined the Anglican community. Christchurch is committed to these fellow believers in Uganda and has helped them build a school, a church, and more recently, a modern health clinic. We also provide funding to send their priests to seminary. Our church family supports close to 100 children who attend the All Saints School we helped build. When I was there, we traveled to several villages and schools to spend time with the people and children and we saw extreme poverty – yet all the people, young and old alike, smiled and were generally happy. The reason – they love Jesus!! I would have to say that of all of my trips, the Uganda experience was the most profound.

My most recent travel experience was in February of 2022, when I joined a large group from Christchurch for a pilgrimage to Israel. Making it even more special was the fact that my daughter Emme joined me! Father Andrew Rowell led us and provided excellent guides throughout the entire journey. Bishop Paul and his wife Mama Agnes of Uganda joined us. It was a privilege to travel in Christ’s footsteps and see so many places referenced in Scripture. Reading the Bible now is so different because I have actually been to places like Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, and so on.

My next big travel adventure will be in May with three other girls. We’re planning a trip out West to see Yellowstone or the Grand Tetons. We have no firm plan… who knows where we’ll end up! 😉

BOOM!: On November 28th, we will all celebrate Thanksgiving. Can you share with our readers what you are most thankful for?

Adele: Recently, I have witnessed the power of God working in the lives of a family from our church. They experienced a tragic loss and were confronted with seemingly insurmountable hurdles. Yet they have remained faithful. And sure enough, every single time a situation would arise that seemed hopeless for them, God would step in and provide. I’m thankful for their friends, co-workers and other Angels who stepped in during their time of need. My faith has strengthened a hundredfold witnessing this family go through this difficult time. I’m thankful for their friendship, their strength, and their child-like faith. And I am thankful for Almighty God who has blessed them and who will continue to comfort and care for them.

BOOM!: Give us three words that describe you.

Adele: Energetic, Optimistic, and Curious.

We want to thank Adele for sharing some of her life’s story with us this month. If you have comments or suggestions about our cover profiles, including nominating someone, please text Jason Watson at 334.328.5189 or email jason@riverregionboom.com.