Jerry Light Sr. said he didn’t even know where Selma was when the city’s First Baptist Church approached him about being the pastor. But the lifelong Georgian answered the call 10 years ago and found Selma to be a wonderful city, similar to what his Atlanta suburb once was — a place where people knew each other and waved and spoke as they went about town.
“Selma has taken me back to that, and I love that,” he said.
Light values the strong relationships he’s found in the community, as well as the church’s rich history. It was instrumental in the early days of Woman’s Missionary Union, and it supplied the only layman ever to serve as a Southern Baptist Convention president. That layman — a lawyer — was able to guide the convention through a turbulent time. “It’s a historic church, and it’s played a role in so many ways,” Light said.
But what he personally loves most about serving as pastor of First, Selma, is the opportunity to live and work in the city’s missions field, meeting needs and better positioning the church to share hope.
“I love spending every day in that way,” he said. “It’s such a privilege to be here.” (TAB)
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