October 2, 2026
NEWNAN, Ga. — Lee Chitwood, minister of music at First Baptist Church in Newnan, has served the same church in the same capacity for 25 years. On Sunday, Aug. 24, the church honored him for his excellence in ministry and his faithfulness as a man of God.
Joel Engle, pastor of the Newnan church, noted the rarity of such long ministry service. “The average music pastor stays about two years. That’s why Lee Chitwood marking 25 years is so rare,” he said. “But this moment is not about Lee, it is about Jesus. It shows that God has been faithful to His church. Over the last 25 years, while culture has shifted and churches across America have struggled, Christ has kept His promise to build His church—and we’ve seen Him do it right here.”
Engle added, “In a time when many step away from ministry after just a few years, Lee and Andrea have stayed steady for a quarter of a century. That doesn’t happen because of human effort. It happens because God is faithful. As Scripture says, ‘He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.’”
L.C. Lane, who preceded Chitwood as First Baptist’s minister of music, told the couple, “Lee and Andrea, we have enjoyed working beside you and poking fun at each other for 25 years. Andrea, we are grateful for the many ways you have invested in our lives, especially in our children through choirs and the School of the Arts.”
He recalled how the Chitwoods’ daughters, Ashlee Grace and Abbey Rose, often slept on pallets in the music suite while their parents worked late into the night. “All of you are gifts of God for your service at First Baptist,” he said.
Lane thanked Lee for ministering through weddings, funerals, counseling, VBS, mentoring, and discipling hundreds through music and worship. “We value the gifts of the Spirit you demonstrate consistently and look forward to how God will use you in our fellowship into the future.”
One of the most moving parts of the Sunday morning service at Newnan’s First Baptist Church was the special music. Chitwood had prepared the choir and orchestra for the presentation of a special anthem, but when it came time for that part of the worship service that he had planned, Lee and his family were asked to sit on the front row, because another arrangement had been made for the choir and orchestra.
David Ray, a member of the Sons of Jubal, had been commissioned to write a special anthem for the occasion. Ray was given some of Chitwood’s favorite songs, such as “Give me Jesus” and “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” and some of his favorite passages of scripture. Ray took all the input provided and created an extraordinary song. Phillip Simmons, an orchestral arranger from Truett McConnell University, wrote the orchestral parts for Ray’s song.
The choir had secret rehearsals while Chitwood was out of town planning the Senior High Choir music mission tour for next summer. Orders were given to all involved in the music ministry to seal their lips and pledge to keep the rehearsals secret.
Lane explained, “The look on Lee’s face was priceless when we swapped anthems in the middle of the service without his knowledge.”
Chitwood is a native of Williamston, SC. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Anderson University in Anderson, SC, and a Master of Music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, with a concentration in voice.
Lee is an advocate for youth choirs, hosting the Georgia Baptist Youth Choir Festival in 2004, 2013, 2017, 2021, and serving as guest conductor in 2005 and 2018. Lee was the guest clinician/director for Georgia Baptist Youth 1 Music Camp in 2013 and 2019 and Georgia Baptist Allstate ensemble director in 2014. Lee has also been featured youth choir clinician at Church Music Georgia for the Georgia Baptist Convention in 2008 and 2009, the Church Music Conference of The Southern Baptist Convention in 2010, and the Tennessee Baptist Convention Church Music Conference in 2011.
For the past 25 years, Lee has taken youth choirs on annual tours, sharing the gospel message in song, across 27 states and abroad to Europe, South Africa, and Japan. Lee is a member of three professional choral, gospel groups: The Sons of Jubal, Jubal Tones, and the Grammy-nominated male chorus, The Century Men, and has been a soloist in all three groups.
Following the morning worship service, the church was invited to go to the Coweta County Fairgrounds for a church-wide luncheon where there was an abundance of food and Lee Chitwood’s favorite – barbecue.
During the celebration, video tributes poured in from a wide range of leaders in ministry, music, and beyond. Greetings and affirmations came from Dr. Joseph Crider and Dr. Jon Duncan of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, composer Heather Sorenson, and Dr. J. Robert White, retired executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. Encouragement was offered by Tim Zimmerman and the King’s Brass. Even Clemson University head football coach Dabo Swinney joined in, adding his words of appreciation.
Rhon Carter, the Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s worship and music catalyst, summed it up by saying, “My friend, you have faithfully led God’s people in worship with excellence, humility, and a heart anchored in God’s Word. Lee, your friendship and your love for Jesus have impacted thousands of lives, including mine.”
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