October 1, 2026
Six years ago, our family was somewhere between what had been and what would be.
Christina, Harper (then 6 years old), and our dog Holly were in the car, headed toward Atlanta. I had accepted a new role with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, and we were transitioning into a new season of ministry. The future felt full of possibility. Then the phone rang.
Everything was shutting down.
Within hours, schools were closing, churches were canceling gatherings, and news headlines were escalating by the minute. Instead of continuing toward Atlanta, we were instructed to go straight to Albany, Georgia. We did not know at that moment that Albany would soon be described as one of the earliest COVID-19 hot spots in the nation.
Dougherty County, with a population of roughly 90,000, quickly became a case study in rapid viral spread. According to reporting from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, transmission in Albany was accelerated by large gatherings in early March 2020, including funerals that became superspreading events. National outlets reported that by early April 2020, Dougherty County had one of the highest per capita infection and death rates in the country. The Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed that within weeks the county had surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases and dozens of deaths, numbers that would continue to climb.
For a community that size, the impact was overwhelming. Hospitals were strained. Families were grieving. Pastors were trying to shepherd people through fear while simultaneously learning how to livestream worship services for the first time. No one felt prepared for that moment. We were not just arriving at a new ministry assignment. We were stepping into crisis.
Looking back now, I do not believe COVID created every challenge the church faced. It revealed them. Before the pandemic, many congregations were already plateaued or declining. The pandemic accelerated trends that were already underway. What COVID did was strip away assumptions. It forced churches to ask foundational questions. Are we clear about our mission? Are we discipling people or simply maintaining activity? Do we know our community well enough to serve them in a crisis? Can we adapt without compromising conviction?
Effective renewal begins with accurate diagnosis.
You cannot treat what you have not examined. That is precisely why the ReFocus process begins with Discovery. Discovery answers a simple but searching question: How are things going? Nehemiah models this posture in Nehemiah 1 and 2. He listened. He assessed. He wept. He fasted. He prayed. Only then did he act. Renewal in Scripture is never reactionary. It is thoughtful. It is prayerful. It is rooted in honest evaluation before God.
Albany in March 2020 was in forced Discovery. There was no avoiding the data. There was no hiding behind routine. Everything familiar had been disrupted. The church, like every other institution, had to look honestly at its health, its habits, and its readiness.
Six years later, we have the distance to reflect.
Attendance patterns remain different. Young adults now attend church more frequently than any generation. Volunteer engagement has shifted. Digital ministry is no longer optional but integrated. Community trust must be rebuilt in new ways. The landscape has changed. Yet the theological foundation has not.
Ephesians 3 reminds us that God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us, and that glory belongs to Him in the church throughout all generations . That promise did not pause during a pandemic. The power of the resurrection described in Ephesians 1 did not diminish in the face of uncertainty. The church belongs to Christ, and He remains its head.
The messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 further reinforce this truth. Jesus calls those congregations to remember, repent, remain, and return. The language of renewal is embedded in Scripture. Restoration is not an admission of failure. It is an act of obedience. Now, six years later, we have an opportunity to realign intentionally rather than reactively. If COVID forced us into Discovery, this season invites us into deliberate design.
Albany remains significant in our family story.
We arrived at a moment of uncertainty, but we also witnessed resilience. We saw pastors care for members in creative ways. We saw deacons mobilize to meet practical needs. We saw communities pray with urgency. Crisis revealed fragility, but it also revealed faithfulness. Our family grew closer together and we became people who camp!
Renewal, however, does not happen automatically with the passing of time. It requires renewed assessment. It requires prayerful courage. It requires leaders who are willing to look honestly at where they are and trust God for where He is leading.
Six years after driving into Albany, I find myself grateful for that unexpected detour. It reminded us that ministry is not built on stability but on calling. It reminded us that the church does not thrive because conditions are favorable but because Christ is faithful. It is also a reminder that when our yes is on the table, the Lord directs our steps.
COVID was not the final chapter. It was a turning point.
The question before us now is whether we will treat this moment as another opportunity for Discovery. How are we really doing? Where have we grown complacent? Where has God been refining us? Where is He inviting us to step forward in obedience?
Renewal is not dramatic. It is deliberate. It begins with humility, continues with clarity, and advances with courage.
Albany taught us that crisis can expose weakness, but it can also awaken purpose. Six years later, that lesson remains. The Church is still called to faithfulness. And when we begin with honest Discovery and submit ourselves to the Lord of the church, renewal is not only possible. It is promised.
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Dr. PJ Dunn is the Senior Consultant for Revitalization of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. He can be reached at pdunn@gabaptist.org.
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