December 7, 2024
RESACA, Ga. — Emmaus Baptist Church is different from other churches. The worship services may seem somewhat unscripted but are certainly full of energy and life. The facilities are not characterized by tall steeples, chandeliers, and stained-glass windows, but they are inviting and marked by a convivial atmosphere.
Emmaus Pastor Scott Parish grew up in Dalton and the neighboring town of Chatsworth. “I only attended church a couple of times prior to my conversion,” he recalled. “In 1979 at the age of 18 an acquaintance invited me to Olivia Baptist Church and Pastor Bill Worley led me to the Lord following the service.”
Scott met his wife, Tammy, at Olivia and they have been married for 40 years. The Parish couple have two adult children who are also married.
Parish, who has been in the ministry for 25 years, has served several churches as a volunteer and as a pastor. He senses a call from God to serve the people in the Valley Point district of Whitfield County.
“Much of that area was impoverished and unstable with heavy drug and alcohol abuse,” he said. “I saw people living without purpose or hope. One of the things that gave me a great burden for the area was the realization that an inordinate number of grandparents were providing more stability for their grandchildren than anyone else. I understood that particular dynamic because of the way I grew up, and I knew that the answer for that situation was a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Darey Kittle, pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Dalton and the missionary for the Conasauga Baptist Association commented, “Pastor Scott has always had a passion for the downtrodden, lost, and lonely people of our community. He goes where no one else will go and reaches people who need Jesus. He has reached out to the churches in his area and pulled them together to serve and minister to their neighborhoods.”
Emmaus Baptist Church started in 2007 in a diner, Parish recalled, “with the help of Pastor Kittle and his church.” Salem sponsored the new church, and the Georgia Baptist Mission Board provided training and support. In 2015, after several moves, including sharing a building belonging to a Methodist congregation, the church purchased property in the extreme south end of the county from a member at Salem.
Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula provided seven prefabricated, modular structures which were transported in seven sections and renovated to properly accommodate the needs of the growing congregation.
When asked to explain what primarily characterized the Emmaus Church, Parish said, “Emmaus is such a wonderful place that it is difficult to clarify what characterizes our church more than anything else, but I think we are marked by humility, love, and vitality. So many of our leaders are very content to serve in the background. Their goal is to love as Christ loves and to live a life of vitality that cares for and nurtures others.”
The pastor’s vision for the church is refreshing. “Most people think in terms of buildings and how many attend. I admit that I am sometimes drawn away from my vision by those things, but more than anything else, my constant vision for the church has always been found in the name ‘Emmaus.’” ‘Emmaus’ has a Hebrew origin meaning ‘hot or warm spring.’
“As I thought about it, God impressed on my heart that people go to a warm spring to experience healing, renewal, and refreshment,” he said. “I have always prayed that through our members and ministries, we would bring spiritual healing, renewal, and refreshment to those we encounter.”
Parish has had his own need for healing, renewal, and refreshment. In March 2016, he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and was told he would eventually need a liver transplant.
He reported, “Over the next five years my health continued to decline, and I learned to value each day. Due to extreme weakness, there were many Sundays that I had to physically support myself with the pulpit to preach.”
Parish is appreciative of his church’s care and support during this time. “The church was amazing and very supportive as they suffered alongside me and prayed for me. By God’s grace and the prayers of our church family and many others, I received a new liver in February 2021. God used my recovery time to refresh me with a new passion for His work. The whole experience made me more grateful and more compassionate toward others.”
Parish’s wife Tammy is a great complement to her husband’s ministry. She is a woman with a winsome personality and an obvious love for Christ.
Scott observed, “Tammy is a very humble and gifted light for the Lord and people are drawn to her. She has an intimate walk with the Lord that I respect and greatly value. Her prayer support is invaluable not only to me, but to many individuals she prays for regularly. I rely on her to relate to the ladies in the congregation and assist me in helping them develop a consistent walk with Christ through a daily devotional life. We are one in heart and ministry.”
Emmaus Baptist Church seems to have an ideal demographic in terms of age with many children and youth engaged in the life of the church. Parish contends that they make a concerted effort to involve the children and youth as ushers, singers, and contributors to every aspect of church life.
The Emmaus pastor added, “As a church we have chosen to love and embrace all people, regardless of their backgrounds, remembering that some of the Bible's greatest success stories are about those who have had the greatest failures. God can work in anyone’s life if they will allow Him too.”
Parish often tells church members, “Take off the mask that we are tempted to wear, it is not needed in God’s family.” As a result, he said, “the broken find a place of love where they can be faithfully involved in reaching others like themselves. It is exciting to see them begin to live responsible lives when they understand that they are unconditionally loved. Our desire is to help them see all that God can and will do in their lives.”
