The Open Door

David Johnston/Rehoboth Baptist Church

GBC Executive Director J. Robert White stands with Pastor David Hagan at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Bellville.

You may not be aware that I grew up in the home of a Southern Baptist pastor in Montgomery, Alabama. South Alabama feels like home to me whenever I am in that area. I guess, because of that, I have the same feeling when in South Georgia. I love to see the farmland, see the sights, and smell the fresh country air. These qualities, as you know, are all too rare in the Atlanta area. At least half of my engagements are south of Macon and I never mind when the truck is headed that way and the compass on the truck reads “S.”

Last week I enjoyed spending time in the southern part of this great state as David Hagan, pastor of Rehoboth Baptist Church in Bellville (spelled “Belleville” on the old train depot), had invited me to preach a revival in his church. What a great time we had!

There aren’t many places that I go to preach that I can enjoy pulling my truck onto a grass parking area and nose the front bumper up to the edge of a cotton field, but that was certainly true for my time at Rehoboth.

Every now and then someone might comment that you just can’t grow a strong church out in the middle of the country. There are a number of churches in Georgia that disprove that supposition. Rehoboth is one of them. They have been in their new worship center for about three years now and Sunday morning an enthusiastic crowd of 250 people joined in singing and studying God’s Word as we worshiped together.

The friendliness and welcoming spirit of the congregation at Rehoboth made me feel right at home. It kind of felt like being at a family reunion. Of course, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. This warm down home feeling was encouraged as we gathered for supper at the church every evening through the week.

The choir and congregational music led by Roy Rogers was beautiful and upbeat.

David Hagan’s unusual gift of enthusiasm and humor made the week especially enjoyable to me. Every evening, David had a children’s sermon, uniquely presented and with a powerful message that was surely caught by not just the children, but the adults as well.

It was refreshing to be in a church where the congregation loves their pastor as much as Rehoboth loves David, his wife Becky, and their three daughters. That love is certainly returned by the pastor and his family as well. The staff is committed and hard-working. The result is evident in a church family in love with each other and in love with Jesus.

Revival time is a refreshing time for me. I enjoy so much being out among Georgia Baptists. We have an unusually fine state convention of churches. It is such a personal joy to serve among you.