Georgia
Georgia Baptists recently celebrated the life and ministry of Pastor Andy Merritt, who died Oct. 11 due to COVID-19 complications. As associate pastor and then pastor at Edgewood Baptist Church for decades in Columbus, Georgia, Merritt started a ministry for women in crisis pregnancies, The Christian Index reported. Edgewood deacon Linwood Spires estimated “over 50,000 babies here locally have been saved by that one ministry.”
Florida
Nearly 700 Florida Baptist churches have delivered sustenance, hope and love while distributing 6,680,015 meals valued at $28,692,764 to communities facing hunger, unemployment and health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Florida Baptist Witness reported. As a result, these churches have reported 1,055 professions of faith, said Myles Dowdy, Florida Baptists’ missions and ministries lead catalyst. The food distributions will continue throughout the remainder of the year.
Louisiana
Nathan Davis, pastor of First Baptist Church, Coushatta, Louisiana, accepted the “Who’s Your One” evangelistic challenge by sharing the gospel with someone especially close to him — his daughter, McKinley, the Baptist Message reported. The pastor prayed all year his daughter would place her faith in Jesus Christ, and on Sept. 28 she made her profession of faith. The pastor baptized his daughter on Oct. 25.
Mississippi
Covington County Sherriff’s Office in Collins, Mississippi, celebrated the baptism of 17 inmates in mid-October. The group of inmates baptized included four women and 13 men. “We hope this is a new start and will change the lives of these and many more,” a Facebook post from the office said. Close to 2,000 people reacted to the social media post, and hundreds of people commented, celebrating the inmates on their decisions.
Tennessee
When Tennessee Baptist Mission Board leaders decided to hold a virtual summit this year, rather than the typical annual meeting, Scott Shepherd, TBMB worship and music specialist, decided to put together a virtual choir, the Baptist and Reflector reported. Six weeks and about 150 hours later, his task was complete and the special musical video presentation with 96 participants aired online. By Nov. 18, the video had been viewed more than 5,500 times.
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