Olin D. Mullinax, 79, long- time bivocational minister, died Jan. 13 at Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta.

During his 40-year ministry Mullinax served 13 churches, many which were financially unable to support a fulltime pastor. Mullinax had a heart for such churches and dedicated his life to providing them with a regular base of spiritual support and encouragement.

The churches he pastored included Memorial Drive in Atlanta, Mt. Zion in Oxford, Stewart Church in Covington, Salem Church in McDonough, Bethel Church in Jonesboro, Woolsey Church in Fayetteville, Bethany Church in McDonough, twice at Bethel Church in Union City, Brownwood Church and Gordon Road Church in Mableton, Pinecrest Church in Morrow, Custer Avenue Church in Atlanta, and Tanners Church in Ellenwood.

Mullinax was ordained to the ministry in July 1954.

Prior to being called into the ministry, he served with the Fifteenth Air Force in World War II and flew 49 combat missions over Germany.

He later served as regional credit manager for Sinclair Refining Company with 21 states under his jurisdiction. Mullinax also later served as assistant commissioner of agriculture for the State of Georgia.

He received a master of theology degree from Immanuel Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctor of divinity from Trinity Baptist Seminary. He also earned a doctorate in counseling from Carolina Christian University.

At the time of his death he was on the staff of Shady Grove Church in Marietta, with responsibility in counseling.

He is survived by his wife, Pearl, of Vinnings.

 

James W. “Jimmy” Waters died Feb. 12 in a Macon hospital. He was 83.

Ordained to preach in 1945 by First Baptist in Tucker, Waters accepted the pastorate that year at Mabel White Memorial Baptist in Macon, where he served for 31 years.

He extended his ministry through the mass media, radio, television, and evangelism. Under his leadership, Mabel White Church began broadcasting on local radio and television and grew from 800 to 3,800 members. Waters also began broadcasting his Victory Hour radio program worldwide.

Waters was president of the Georgia Baptist Convention from 1974-76 and a two-term vice president. He also served on numerous committees at the state and national level, in addition to being on the Executive Committee of the GBC and chairman of the Georgia Baptist Hospital Commission.

Waters was a member of the Radio and Television Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and served as chairman of the Board of Trustees 1977-78. He also served on the Board of Directors for the National Religious Broadcasters. As religious director for WMAZ Radio and Television in Macon, he had daily programs from 1948 to 2003, making more than 25,000 broadcasts at home and overseas.

As chaplain for the Department of Public Safety and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, he held the rank of captain on the Georgia State Patrol.

Waters also was chaplain at the Macon Police Department, the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department, and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Department. He served as the lifetime chaplain of the Peace Officers Association of Georgia.

While pastor at Tattnall Square Baptist Church in Macon, a three-story educational building was constructed and named “The Waters Building” in honor of the ministry of he and his wife, the former Annette Burton of Macon. In addition, he served as interim pastor of Crawfordville Baptist Church for seven years.

Waters is survived by his wife of nearly 63 years; his son, Jimmy Waters, Jr. of Los Angeles, Calif.; three daughters, Dianne Griffin of Macon, Sheila Greene of Marietta and Deborah Stevens of Macon; his brother, Mack L. Waters of Monroe; three sisters, Elizabeth W. Hatch of Jacksonville, Fla., Martha W. Woodyard of Lithonia and Rachel W. Atkins of Alpharetta; eleven grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.