Georgia Baptist Mission Board names PJ Dunn to expand church revitalization efforts

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The church revitalization program of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board has seen a tremendous response, according to Mark Marshall, Senior Lead Strategist for Church Strengthening. “We have been getting many inquiries about the program from churches that have a need and want to partner with us in walking through the process,” he said.

In response, Marshall explained, the GBMB has named PJ Dunn as Senior Consultant for Revitalization. In addition to leading churches in revitalization, Dunn will expand the network of leaders who are equipped to lead churches in revitalization. Marshall added that Dunn will provide leadership as he steps into this new role to meet a vital need among Georgia Baptists.

“We are seeing tremendous response to our efforts to see churches revitalized in Georgia,” said Marshall. “PJ has spent the last five years helping churches in South and North Georgia move the needle in discipleship. He has a unique ability to help churches see the possibilities for their future. This next chapter expands that work so more pastors and churches can move forward with clarity of mission, vision, strategy, and values.

Dunn emphasized that revitalization is not a label for struggling churches but a hopeful path for any congregation that wants to pursue its mission with fresh focus. “Healthy churches keep growing on purpose,” Dunn said. “Whether a church is growing, plateaued, or declining, revitalization helps leaders seek the Lord, clarify vision, and take faithful next steps.”

We partner with pastors and churches to develop paths for growth and impact. The statewide strategy begins with the pastor, because care and clarity start with the shepherd. Pastors are invited to connect with Pastor Wellness for assessments that encourage reflection and resilience. Guided coaching follows these snapshots to help leaders identify next steps that fit their context.

From there, churches may enter the ReFocus Revitalization Process with a trained Georgia Baptist Corpus Pathfinder.

Developed by Dr. Rob Peters and the Corpus team, ReFocus has helped hundreds of churches across the country and is now being utilized across Georgia. Each step answers a key question and equips pastors and teams to act through biblical foundations:

1. Discovery — How are we doing?
2. Convergence — Where should we position our ministry?
3. Pyramid — What is our mission, vision, and strategy?
4. Path — What does disciple making look like here?
5. Ladder — Who leads the journey?
6. Toolkit — What resources do we need to live it out?

Together, these steps help leaders see where they are, where God is leading, and what faithful next steps look like.

Dunn has served with the GBMB for more than five years in discipleship, helping churches form disciples who make disciples. His new role continues that conversation statewide, aligning revitalization with practical disciple-making and mission clarity. He lives in Waleska, Georgia, with his wife, Christina, daughter Harper, two dogs, Holly and Ivy, and their camper, Lupe.

The GBMB exists to serve churches and advance the Gospel so that every church can pursue its mission with clarity and courage. Revitalization is something we all do, serving growing, plateaued, and declining churches of all sizes. Wherever you are, you can take your next step to gain unique mission clarity for your church.

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If your church would like to explore revitalization or schedule an initial conversation, contact PJ Dunn at pdunn@gabaptist.org.