March 19, 2025
STATESBORO, Ga. — This summer, First Baptist Church Statesboro will celebrate 40 years of caring for members through its church nursing ministry. Initially staffed by a part-time nurse in July 1985 supported by love offerings, it became a full-time budgeted ministry in 1997.
The ministry provides members health-related services and spiritual help, said Lead Pastor John Waters. “It represents a priority of ministry particularly to our elderly members, but it also serves all the church family,” said Waters. “It’s a supplement to some of the care members are getting from their healthcare providers, but gives a point of connection with our church.”
Led by Jordan Mathis, the ministry provides residential visits for basic physical assessment and home safety, medication management, chronic illness education, and care coordination including a transport ministry.
“I’m just thankful to serve the church in this way. It is really cool,” said Mathis.
Born and raised in Statesboro and a registered nurse since 2013, Mathis is the third person to lead the ministry. She said it’s a way to reach members who fall through the cracks. “We want to be there for them in their time of need. It’s definitely coming from a ministry standpoint rather than just, 'Hey, I am here to give you a shot' or 'I’m here to take your blood pressure.'”
Waters said it’s not just about home healthcare visits. Mathis ministers not only to members' physical circumstances but helps them stay connected with the church and on their spiritual side as well. Mathis sees relationships as the most important thing in the ministry. “It’s a picture of how the Lord created us for a relationship,” she said.
That is not something you get in a typical healthcare setting, especially in a hospital setting, she said. “You might get to know somebody for a few days and then they are discharged. And, they leave and you never see them again. With this, I get to meet people and walk alongside them for a long time, and they get to be a part of my life and I get to be a part of theirs.”
One of the many church members helped by the ministry is Robin Altland. A member since 2018, Altland is blind and has other health issues. Jordan visits with her and her roommate best friend Kathy, who is also blind, every Friday afternoon.
Altland said it’s hard to relate to people in the large church and she cannot go to all church events because of transportation issues. “It makes me feel more like I can fit in a lot better,” she said.
Altland feels blessed by this ministry. “It is kinda nice having someone help us keep up with our health in between doctor's visits," she said. "She [Mathis] takes blood pressure and all that kind of stuff. Then, we get to talking about whatever went on during the week and all this kind of thing. And, then we pray.”
Altland said Mathis lets people know she cares about them. “She talks with them, listens to them, prays with them and you can’t get any better than that.”
The medical transport ministry features volunteers providing transportation for members to healthcare appointments.
Mathis recalls meeting regularly with an elderly lady with many medical challenges. “We just got to know each other and we had so much in common. She had so many stories and she saw so much, so to just get to go over there was great. Honestly, I just took her blood pressure and we sat and had coffee and talked for an hour," Mathis said. "It was one of my favorite times during the week for three years straight. All the stories she told just pointed to the Lord and his glory.” The lady passed away last year at age 93.
“I think a church ministry like this and all health care ministries represent that the gospel not only cares for a person's eternal destiny, but we want to care for them while they are on this earth as well. Jesus used his ministry of healing to help people understand the message of the gospel and the mercy and grace found in his message,” said Waters.
His advice to other churches is to start a part-time ministry just a few hours a week. Just about every church has some nursing people in it, he added.
Water said he'd never seen a ministry of this sort until he came to Statesboro. He said it’s a great opportunity for other churches to consider how can they use internal resources to serve their members. He said it could be as simple as just a few people going out on Saturday for a few hours.
In the near future, Waters hopes the nursing leader will lead a team of volunteers. The church has several members who are healthcare workers and retirees.
“It might be more than she (Mathis) can do herself, so we want to surround her with a volunteer team so we can broaden this ministry and touch more lives,” Waters said. This might give members a chance to serve who don’t want to teach a class or sing in the choir. “But, this ministry is something that God has equipped them for.”
