October 2, 2026
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Coleen Pethel was a 19-year-old bride when she and her husband, Jack, joined Central Baptist Church in Gainesville in 1948. Central Baptist soon became a central part of the life of their family. She said, “My children grew up there, they were all saved and baptized there.” She and her beloved husband, who died in 2016, honored their love for the Lord and His church by their many years of faithful service at Central.
Now aged 95, her mind is as sharp as a tack. She recently reminisced about how the church has experienced peaks and valleys since she became a member. The church, during its heyday, averaged more than a thousand in attendance, but today it averages less than one hundred in worship. Nor could she have foreseen when she joined Central that nearly 80 years later, the church would honor her for her many years of faithful service.
Many people at Central still refer to “Jack and Coleen” when speaking of that service. Jack held many leadership positions and is remembered as a gifted musician. In 1954, when Southern Baptists were emphasizing “A Million More in '54,” a group of Central men organized the “101 Sunday School Class.” Their goal was to enroll 101 men in the class, which they did. For many years, the class was broadcast live over the local radio station WDUN. Jack played piano for the class for many years.
Sixty-eight years to the day they met on a blind date, Jack passed away in 2016. Although after his passing, Coleen did not slow down when it came to service. What eventually did slow her down was the traffic on the eight-mile drive between her home and the church. She explained that there were two occasions when driving home earlier this year, she felt “scared” and found it necessary to pull into a parking lot. She said the last time was Easter Sunday when she realized it was time to give up the drive and resign from her position as Sunday School secretary.
Today, Central Baptist resembles many older downtown congregations. When she started attending the church in 1948, it was surrounded by homes. In the 1960s, much of the surrounding community transitioned to commercial and industrial. Many, like Jack and Coleen, had moved but continued the commute to Central. She explained the church has had two peaks during the years she has been attending. The first was in the 1950s, before a large portion of the congregation left to begin a new church in the growing suburbs. She said Central bounced back and had a second resurgence in the late 1960s and early 1970s before entering a decline which was hastened by a division in the 1990s.
She explained that through it all, “It was our church, and we were going to stay.” She further reflected, “There have been good times and bad times, but more good times than bad.” One of the most memorable times took place years ago, before the passing of her husband. It was the first Sunday she was able to return to worship after almost a year’s absence while dealing with cancer and chemo treatments. She said the song “God on the Mountain” was sung as a solo in the worship that morning, reflecting what she had experienced the previous year. It was a particularly moving moment, she said, because “I had been both in the valley and on the mountain.” Remembering that Sunday she said, “And that was a great day!”
Another of those good times she recalled was the summer of 1968. Jack was the Sunday School director at the time, and he asked a photographer to come each week and take pictures of different classes and departments. They had kept the bulletins from that summer as well. Central had an interim pastor who was very effective in guiding the church through the transition. The church was at peace and thriving. “One morning that fall, after talking it over with Jack,” she said, “I sat down and put together a scrapbook.”
One of the highlights of that summer was a young college intern from Truett McConnell College named John Yarbrough, who worked with the youth. In a parting note before returning to school in the fall, he wrote, “Once again, I want to thank each one of you for the most wonderful summer of my life. You have been so kind and so much fun to work with ...” Yarbrough came away with more than just memories of a wonderful summer; it was where he met his future wife, Diana, whose family was active at Central. Today, Yarbrough is back at Truett McConnell serving as the acting president.
On a recent Sunday, the church invited the extended Pethel family and friends to join them in honoring Coleen for her many years of service. She expressed appreciation for the recognition and challenged the church to move forward. She said, “All in all, I have had a great time at Central Baptist Church. It’s been a great, great time for me!”
Today, she lives alone in the house she and Jack built in Oakwood on the farm where she was raised. Her driving is limited to nearby grocery stores and a few other locations close to her home. She watches Central Baptist’s worship service online each week and is still very much in touch with her church family by phone. She expressed the fact that Central has been a church with a close fellowship and that it has often helped it through those tough times.
Asked if she had any parting advice, gleaned from her 95 years of living, she said, “I wish families today could realize how much God means to a family. They need His help!” Indeed, God’s family at Central Baptist has been blessed by Jack and Coleen’s service, and the Pethel family has been blessed in return. Her words ring true; families need God’s help! Sometimes God’s help comes in the shape of His servants like Jack and Coleen Pethel.
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