I am very excited to report to you that at our Executive Committee meeting last month, the committee approved a designated fund for Minister Wellness. This fund will be specifically used to help the ministers in our association. The funds will be used in a variety of ways. They will be used to help scholarship a Minister and his wife if they would like to attend a GBMB retreat. The funds would also be used to assist in a time of crisis. We would also use the funds to help provide resources for our ministers that would aid them in their ministry. Primarily, the funds will be there to help our ministers so they can be effective in their family life and their ministry to their local congregation. We would encourage individuals or churches to make contributions to this fund. I know I appreciate the ministers in our association, and it is my aim to support them in any way possible and I know that would be your desire as well.

I want to share some highlights from my report to the Executive committee:

It’s been a great beginning of 2024. In January, I had the opportunity to preach in three different churches and participated in two ordinations councils for new ministers at Penia Baptist Church as well as giving the charge to three deacons at Lake Blackshear Baptist Church. I began this month preaching two Sundays at Unadilla First Baptist Church as their Pastor Charlie Miller resigned at the end of January.

I also attended our Annual Associational Mission Strategist Retreat in January where I received information about replanting Churches from our speaker Mark Clifton. This is a big topic today as associations need to look at replanting churches so that we will continue to have growing healthy churches impacting the Kingdom. I will in fact be attending a Replant Conference next week in Atlanta that is sponsored by the North American Mission Board.

We are also in the middle of our “Saturate” evangelism effort. We have several churches that have received the information and materials for this effort. I am praying that through this effort we will see many lives changed by the glorious Gospel. I will be meeting with our Evangelism team this month to continue to discuss other ways we can work together to reach people with the Gospel. A couple of the ways I envision our churches working together will be participating in local community events where we can have a table or a booth and provide an opportunity for churches to share the Gospel. I would also like Crisp and Dooly counties to have an Evangelism event that will be like a block party that could include a weekend that has special emphasis each night. Please be in prayer as God guides us to look at ways to impact our communities with the Gospel.

In the month of May, we are going to have two events. We are planning a Men’s Fish Fry at Harmony Baptist Church on May 6^th. This will be an evangelistic event. On May 9^th, we will have a Senior Adult Rally at Byromville Baptist Church at 10:30 am. We will begin with a worship service and will have lunch following the service.

We have set the dates for our Children’s Summer Camp. The following are the dates and the director for each camp:

Girls Camp – June 17-20  Director - Nina Adams

Day Camp – June 24-27    Director - Amber Posey

Boys Camp – July 8-11       Director - Jackson Musselwhite

We are in our second semester with our Bible Institute. We currently have four students attending. This is now under Brewton-Parker College. Students who take courses through our Institute can get credit towards an associate degree or certification in Biblical Studies. Kenny Peters is the instructor.

At the beginning of the year, we sent out a Prayer Calendar for our churches to pray for two churches a week. It will take 18 weeks to pray for two churches a week and we are encouraging our churches to continue praying every 18 weeks through the end of this year. I would encourage our churches to use their prayer time on Sundays or in the Prayer meetings to pray for the churches. We are also encouraging every church member to pray daily as well. I believe through this effort of praying for each other, we will see God move in a great way in our churches.

It is a joy and a blessing to serve this association. I appreciate your prayers as I seek the Lord to help guide and encourage our churches as we work together to strengthen churches and reach more people with the Gospel.

Bro. Gary

Bro. Gary

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Vienna First Baptist Church

The association office has a small emergency food pantry that ministers to those in need. Many of those who we assist only have a microwave and do not have access to a stove and/or oven, so the above listed items are primarily needed.



(Please check the expiration dates before donating.)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS MINISTRY.

YOUR DONATIONS, AND ESPECIALLY YOUR PRAYERS, ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!