April 28, 2024
KENNESAW, Ga. — A menu of wild boar, venison, and alligator, mixed with an ample serving of the gospel, proved to be an irresistible combination at Kennesaw First Baptist Church’s wild game dinner where 28 people made salvation decisions.
“God is alive and well in Kennesaw,” lead pastor Perry Fowler said after the Saturday event. “He is blessing, and His kingdom is being built.”
The Lord has been doing that across Georgia lately. In fact, the state’s Southern Baptist churches saw a more than 30% increase in baptisms over the past year and a more than 90% increase since 2020.
“When we engage in what God is doing around us, He does the work,” Fowler said. “He brings the people to Himself.”
Steve Foster, an evangelism consultant for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, said the state has seen its largest number of baptisms since 2016. The number as of Friday was 20,531, according to an annual count.
Kennesaw First Baptist has been doing annual wild game dinners for 23 years, using them to reach men who may not otherwise go to church.
At Saturday’s dinner, Kevin Williams presented the gospel. Williams, pastor at First Baptist Church of Villa Rica and a former president of the Georgia Baptist Convention, has been at the center of spiritual revival, seeing large numbers of people responding to the gospel at events across the state. He had at least 70 salvation decisions in the first two weeks of February at his own church. And he saw 22 men saved at an event during that same time period. At the Williams’ church’s “Passion Play” last Easter, 53 people made salvation decisions.
“I love to see people give their lives to Christ,” Williams said. “Nothing excites me more.”
Fowler knew that about Williams because the two had served together in state-level leadership positions in the Georgia Baptist Convention. So, Fowler expected the Lord to bless at the wild game dinner.
“They put a lot of work into that event,” Williams said. “It was packed out.”
Fowler, pastor at Kennesaw First Baptist for the past 16 years, said Williams “talked straight to the hearts of the men,” and got the response he had hoped for.
The men at Kennesaw First Baptist, Fowler said, recognized the potential of the event, inviting unchurched friends in hopes that they would respond to the gospel.
“It was awesome,” Fowler said. “My grandson came after this event and told his parents he wanted to accept Christ, too. He made 29 people saved on Saturday night.”
Kennesaw First Baptist averages about 600 people in Sunday morning worship services.
“Our church has become much more multi-ethnic,” Fowler said. “We have people from all around the world. God is bringing them to us. It’s been neat to see the church changing with the community, much more than it has in years past. God is doing that.”
