Anticipation! Faith! Hope! These are the words that described the spirit and emotions of Atlantans, Georgians, and Americans as they awaited the announcement of International Olympic Chairman Juan Antonia Samaranch regarding the host city for the 1996 Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee was meeting in Tokyo where the decision was made. Atlanta's delegation included Gov. Joe Frank Harris, Mayor Maynard Jackson, former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and Atlanta Organizing Committee President Billy Payne.

A large crowd had gathered at Underground Atlanta, joined by multiplied thousands of Georgians across the state, to watch the early morning live television announcement from across the world. Samaranch took the podium to make the never-to-be-forgotten announcement. Georgians collectively held their breath. Then came the words that made the Atlanta roar with delirious delight: "The International Olympic Committee has awarded the 1996 Olympic Games to the city of ... Atlanta."

 

Growing anticipation

When the announcement was made the Atlanta delegation in Tokyo jumped to their feet and hugged each other, the jubilant crowd in Underground Atlanta went wild, those who heard the announcement on their automobile radios registered their delight with the sounding of their car horns, and people were giving each other high fives as they walked down Peachtree Street.

Georgians are expectantly waiting once again, but this time with a growing anticipation for the announcement about the success of the WAVE revivals and the number of baptisms recorded in our state for the current church year. Actually, the final results of this year's evangelism efforts will not be known for months, but preliminary reports are encouraging.

Will we reach our goal of 50,000 baptisms? Georgia Baptist Convention Executive Director J. Robert White recently noted that Georgia Baptists baptized nearly six percent more individuals in 2004 than in the previous year and remarked, "That is a significant increase and last year we were just talking about this year's emphasis on evangelism. What is taking place in our churches this year should result in a record number of people accepting Christ."

This year's revival meetings have been held in churches, under tents, in stadiums and in great arenas such as Augusta's Civic Center. Some meetings are resulting in a great harvest, and most are reporting significant decisions for Christ.

Pumpkinvine Baptist Church in Dallas had Tim Williams from Jacksonville, Fla. as the evangelist for their WAVE Revival and saw 44 souls born into the family of God. Pastor Thomas Cole has indicated that of the 79 baptized thus far this year, 38 of them have come from the revival and there are more converts from the revival yet to be baptized.

Cole has been the pastor of Pumpkinvine for ten years and has seen the Sunday School attendance more than double during the past decade. He has made evangelism a priority in the church and they have already baptized 14 more people than in all of last year. The church's goal is to baptize 100 people during this year.

Blundale Baptist Church reported only seven baptisms in 2003, but that number increased to 26 in 2004 and Pastor Jamie Archer anticipates a greater number of baptisms this year. He indicated that the church has already baptized 20 to date and is still following up on those who made decisions at the Rick Gage Crusade in Swainsboro (p.23 The Index May 12 edition). Believing that revival meetings are a key component to reaching the lost, Archer is already making plans for Blundale's fall revival in September.

Tina Lancaster, a staff member of Warren Baptist Church in Augusta, indicated that the church has already baptized 104 people this year, compared to 84 during the same period last year.

 

On the move

First Baptist Church of Pooler is making evangelism a priority and the emphasis is beginning to bring significant results. This year the church has already baptized 30 new believers with more sure to come

The First Baptist pastor, Otis Hall, is using MOVE, a comprehensive strategy tool being developed by the Evangelism Ministries of the Georgia Baptist Convention, to help churches give evangelism the primacy it deserves. MOVE is an acrostic for mentoring, organization, visitation and expectation.

Members of the Pooler church are being mentored to become soul winners. Organizations like the Sunday School are implementing an evangelism strategy. Personal visitation is a vital ministry of the church, and the members are becoming filled with expectation. They are expecting folks to be saved. Reports from Pooler indicate that First Baptist Church is on the MOVE.

The church recently had "Rhyme and Reason," an evangelistic team from Fort Oglethorpe to lead their WAVE Revival effort. The pastor contends that revivals work and the church is going through a stage of revitalization. The church typically averages just more than 200 in Sunday School, but the recent church growth they are experiencing catapulted them to a high attendance of 423 in worship on a recent Sunday.

Pastor Chip Gresham at Calvary Baptist in Albany had Evangelist Keith Fordham in his WAVE Revival. This church that baptized only four in 2003 has baptized 12 since January of 2004 and recently baptized Lois Taylor, who at age 81 is the oldest person to be baptized in the history of the church.

Philip Johnson, pastor of Sandy Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville, recently had Mark Sterling, a consultant in GBC's Evangelism Ministry, to preach their WAVE Revival with good results. Sandy Creek only baptized two last year, but has already baptized six this year and expect the baptismal waters to be stirred often.

Johnson, who became the pastor nine years ago in a bi-vocational role and who is now full-time, is making evangelism a major emphasis in the church and the people are responding. Specific areas have been targeted for outreach and personal contacts are made to the homes of those who visit the church.

 

Reaching many

Churches both large and small must rise to meet the challenge of baptizing 50,000 if Georgia Baptists are to really "Celebrate the Harvest," which is this year's GBC Convention theme. Obviously, there is much work to be done between now and then.

Mike Minnix, vice president for Evangelism for the GBC expressed, "With four months remaining we need to recall the words of Jesus in John 4:35: 'Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white unto harvest.'

"The victory will not come when the final harvest reports are given for our Georgia baptisms," Minnix insists. "But the victory must be won now in these four months as we reach as many people as possible for Christ."