Precious in His Sight

"Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." - Matthew 19:14

This year's adopted theme, "Precious in His Sight", can be related back to one of the most divisive and devastating periods of American History, the Civil War. Although the time frame cannot be exact, at some time during this period, lyrics (written previous to the Civil War by C. Herbert Woolston) and an original tune (composed by George F. Root during the Civil War) came together to create one of the most well-known and enduring children's songs, Jesus Loves the Little Children.

Jesus loves the little children.

All the children of the world.

Red and yellow, black and white,

They are precious in his sight.

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

It was also during this time, specifically in 1864, that a motion was made at the annual Georgia Baptist Convention to look toward the establishment of an orphan asylum. In spite of a tumultuous start and actual dissolution, the association was revived by a group of women at Second Baptist Church of Atlanta who eventually obtained a charter for the Georgia Baptist Orphan's Home Association.

From this point forward, the ministry has had dramatic growth and now serves an average of 1,000 children and families each year through its' residential programs and children's ministry, which includes unwed mothers, teen abusers of alcohol and drugs, children with disabilities and children at risk. In the last decade, with the vision and leadership of Dr. Kenneth M. Dobbs, our president and CEO, and his dedicated staff, we have added several new and needed ministries throughout the state and will continue to do so as financial resources and personnel are available.

As I travel across the state and speak to different churches, there is a misunderstanding as to where we receive our money. Most people cannot believe that we are not included in the Cooperative Program budget. During the Great Depression, the GBC and the Orphan's Home reached a mutual agreement to allow the Orphan's Home to withdraw from the Cooperative Program and to go into the open field and solicit funds from churches.

In today's busy world, time and money are much sought-after commodities and those with which we struggle the most. Everyone is looking for an investment that will yield them the greatest return; I can think of no other that produces more satisfaction to me than my investment of time and money in the Georgia Baptist Children's Home and Family Ministries.