October 1, 2026
COCHRAN, Ga. — Mount Calvary Baptist Church was founded June 20, 1840, by seven charter members in rural Bleckley County, almost three decades before the city of Cochran was incorporated.
Nearly 185 years later, Pastor Lane Collins believes those early members would be grateful to see a church marked by growth, unity, and a staff that serves together in love.
The unity of a church staff can be a powerful testimony to the truth of the Lord’s boundless love. When church leaders serve together in harmony, they help create an atmosphere marked by Christian joy, peace, good fellowship, and a welcoming spirit for newcomers.
Collins expressed deep gratitude for the people who serve alongside him at Mount Calvary.
“We have a great staff, and I look at them as equals,” Collins said. “I love each one of them and value their incalculable contribution to our ministry.”
Collins served as pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church from 2005 to 2017, leading the congregation through a fruitful season of ministry. In 2017, he accepted a call to become pastor of Zion Baptist Church in Covington.
Collins’ return to Mount Calvary came after a frightening health episode that changed the way he thought about life, ministry, and the years ahead.
On June 15, 2018, while serving at Zion Baptist, Collins lost consciousness while driving near the church. His vehicle crossed into the lane of oncoming traffic and went down an embankment, but it avoided other vehicles. When he regained consciousness, Collins managed to steer back onto the highway and drive home.
At first, he dismissed the episode as an anomaly and believed it was nothing to be concerned about. A week later, his wife, Julie, insisted that he go to Piedmont Newton Hospital in Covington to find out what had caused the near-tragedy.
After some tests and assessments, Collins proceeded to get dressed to go home, but the attending physician told him, “If you leave now, you will die.”
Collins was transferred to Piedmont Atlanta Hospital in the Buckhead neighborhood. After further examinations, he had a pacemaker inserted and a cardioverter-defibrillator implanted in his chest.
The experience gave Collins a different perspective on his life and future. When his former church in Cochran started looking for a new pastor, he asked Julie, “Would you be interested in going back to Mount Calvary?”
She replied, “I’d move back tomorrow.”
The church called the Collinses back to Cochran in 2020, and Lane declared, “This is it for me. I am 59 years old, and my plan and hope is to stay here until my years of pastoral ministry come to a close.”
Mount Calvary Baptist Church is located in a rural area of Bleckley County. The county has a population of only 12,583, and half of the people live in the county seat town of Cochran. Collins emphasized, “Our community only has a cemetery, a convenience store, and a caution light.”
However, the church is becoming more of a regional fellowship, with people coming to Mount Calvary from Eastman, Warner Robins, Hawkinsville, Allentown, and Dublin.
Since Collins returned in 2020, Mount Calvary has seen steady growth and increasing regional reach.
Collins said the church was already doing well when he returned, and even during the COVID pandemic, the church continued to grow numerically and financially. Average worship attendance has grown from 220 to 240 to 325 to 350, with attendance reaching more than 500 on special days such as Mother’s Day and Easter. The growth led the church to add a second Sunday morning worship service.
The church also rejoiced in 20 baptisms last year, giving Collins and the congregation another reason to believe the Lord is blessing the ministry of Mount Calvary.
In January, Mount Calvary moved into a new facility with additional Sunday school space, a basketball court, and a pickleball court. The church has no debt and is now making plans for a new worship center.
“We are grateful for what is happening in our church, and the word is spreading that the church is growing and that souls are being saved,” Collins said. “Everyone knows everyone in Cochran, and when something exciting is happening in a church, everyone seems to know about it. The word about MCBC is spreading, and we are beginning to experience a momentum of growth. People just seem to gravitate toward a church that is reflecting the love of Christ and doing well.”
The Mount Calvary pastor said the ministry is not about him.
“Our staff works together and gives their very best effort to make this church a blessing to others,” Collins said.
M.J. Spano, the church’s worship leader, served 20 years in the military band at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins. A clarinetist, bagpiper, and vocalist, she has sung for four sitting presidents, many prime ministers, and a variety of celebrities. But she said her work at Mount Calvary has been the most joyful and fulfilling ministry she has experienced.
“Our staff is the most cohesive and unified group of people I have ever known,” Spano said. “We have a common goal and a great desire to serve the Lord and each other.”
Wesley Weathington serves in children’s ministry while also working full time with a dermatologist. At Mount Calvary, he works with children from kindergarten through fifth grade and has helped create an environment where they feel welcome, accepted, and excited to learn about Jesus.
Since he works full time outside the church, Weathington said the staff’s unity is more than an ideal. It is a practical help.
“We are committed to helping each other,” Weathington said. “Since I have a full-time job, they are great about bridging the gap for me when I am not in the office. I love working with each one on our staff.”
Daniel DeMarra came to Mount Calvary from Second Baptist Church in Houston to serve as youth pastor. After a youth lock-in, DeMarra said one of the first things that impressed him about the staff was not only that they were called to ministry, but that they loved their calling.
“I don’t see anyone on our staff who is just going through the motions to get the job done, but they each have a sense of a divine calling upon their lives and an anointing of the Spirit upon what they do for the kingdom,” DeMarra said.
He said he was initially unsure about leaving a large church for a rural congregation, but that changed when he visited Mount Calvary.
“I sensed that God was doing something here,” DeMarra said. “Pastor Collins allows us to take ownership of our ministry, and I feel like I have his complete trust to do what God has called me to do.”
It is evident that the people of Mount Calvary Baptist Church see the camaraderie and unity among their staff and are beginning to emulate it. The result is a loving fellowship in the body of Christ, and people are attracted to a church that reflects genuine Christian fellowship.
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