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Creating Strategic Partnerships between the Association Pastors and the Churches of the WBA
to reach our area and beyond with the Gospel and live "On Mission Together."

Purpose

Our Purpose

The Purpose of the Washington Baptist Association is to support member churches that come together in the common bond of serving Christ.

This support includes the following:

 

Church Resourcing Assistance

  • Deacon Training

  • Search Committee Training

  • Ordinations Councils

  • Pulpit Supply

  • Conflict Resolution

  • Resume Services

  • Round Tables for Pastors

  • Criminal Background Checks for Workers

  • Loan Out (puppets, projection systems, mission supplies, etc.)

  • Prayer Support

  • Newsletters

Shared Ministries with sister churches

  • Youth Camp and Other Youth Events

  • Summer Mission Projects

  • Disaster Response

  • Carpenters for Christ

  • WMU

  • Men’s Ministries

  • Backpacks for Appalachia

  • Prison Ministries

Liaison to the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and the SBC

About

About

The area of the Washington Baptist Association (WBA) originally existed as the Baptist churches between the Oconee and Ogeechee Rivers. Today it includes 43 churches that are mainly in Baldwin, Hancock, and Washington counties; however, a smaller number of churches extend in to the counties of Glascock, Putnam, and Warren.   

The roots of the WBA run deep in the middle Georgia soil. Our oldest congregation is the Powelton Baptist Church, established in 1786. This same church became the place of birth of the Georgia Baptist Convention, aka the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.  In 1828, at Sisters Meeting House, a number of churches from the Hephzibah Association voted to establish a new association of churches and named it the Washington Baptist Association.

Associations preceded the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and the Southern Baptist Convention that began in 1822 and 1845, respectively.  WBA continues to support local congregations as they work together to build up the Kingdom of God.

Scroll down to read a brief history of the Washington Baptist Association.

Churches

Our Member Churches

Bethel Baptist Church

706-444-6352

Bethel Rd

Sparta, GA 31087

(mailing address is c/o Linda Barnes;

4494 Shoals Rd; Sparta, GA 31087)

Bethlehem Baptist Church

478-552-6200

95 Bethlehem Church Rd

Warthen, GA 31094

(mailing address is PO Box 85;

Warthen, Ga 31094)

Black Springs Baptist Church

478-453-9431

673 Sparta Hwy, NE

Milledgeville, GA 31061

Church Central

478-451-7282

620 S Wilkinson St

Milledgeville, GA 31061

(mailing address is PO Box 1277;

Milledgeville, GA 31059)

Culverton Baptist Church

706-444-6483

310 Roy Smith Rd

Sparta, GA 31087

(mailing address is 371 Dry Creek Rd; Sparta, GA 31087)

Darien Baptist Church

706-444-8715

12547 Linton Rd

Sparta, GA 31087

Davisboro Baptist Church

478-357-8563

333 Main St

Davisboro, GA 31018

(mailing address is PO Box 70;

Davisboro, GA 31018)

Devereux Baptist Church

706-444-0807

190 Main St

Devereux, GA 31087

(mailing address is 270 Main St;

Sparta, GA 31087)

Fairmont Baptist Church

706-869-7676

2003 Fairmount Rd

Sparta, GA 31087

Friendship Baptist Church,

Glascock Co

6825 Old Mitchell Rd

Mitchell, GA 30820

Friendship Baptist Church, Sinclair

(478) 968-7201

635 Twin Bridges Rd, Eatonton, GA, United States, Georgia

Friendship Baptist Church, Washington Co

478-363-1417

3828 N Indian Trail Rd

Sandersville, GA 31082

(mailing address is c/o Harry McCoy;

372 JF Hall Rd, SW;

Gordon, GA 31031

 

Grace Baptist Church

478-453-9713

112 Alexander Dr

Milledgeville, GA 31059

(mailing address is PO Box 1179;

Milledgeville, GA 31059)

Hardwick Baptist Church

478-452-1612

124 Thomas St

Hardwick, GA 31034

(mailing address is PO Box 39;

Hardwick, GA 31034)

Harmony Baptist Church

478-232-3622

447 Deepstep Rd, NE

Sandersville, GA 31082

Island Creek Baptist Church

662-292-2673

4258 Island Creek Church Rd

Sparta, GA 31087

(mailing address c/o Marilyn Heslep;

229 Chicory Rd NE;

Milledgeville, GA 31061)

Jewell Baptist Church

706-444-7310

Hamburg State Park Rd

at Hwy 16

Jewell, GA 

(mailing address is PO Box 203;

Warrenton, GA 30828)

Lake Country Baptist Church

706-485-8741

1259 Crooked Creek Road
Eatonton, GA 31024

 

Lakeside Baptist Church (O)

706-453-0330
5800 Lake Oconee Pkwy

Greensboro, GA 30642

Lakeside Baptist Church (S)

706-485-0835

1023 Milledgeville Rd

Milledgeville, GA 31061

Lighthouse Covenant Church

478-453-3300

PO Box 884

Milledgeville, GA 31059

Long Creek Baptist Church

706-465-1045

290 Long Creek Church Rd, SW

Warrenton, GA 30828

(mailing address is c/o Chris

Wasson; 376 S Jay St;

Stapleton, GA 30823)

Marshall Memorial Baptist Church

(706) 485-7324

190 Imperial Mill Rd

Eatonton, GA 31024

Milledgeville, First Baptist

478-452-0502

330 S Liberty St

Milledgeville, GA 31061

(Mailing address is PO Box 795;

Milledgeville, GA 31059)

Mineral Springs Baptist Church

478-521-0447

7339 Hamburg State Park Rd

Mitchell, GA 30820

(mailing address is c/o Tommy

Yarbrough; 165 Yarbrough Ln;

Mitchell, GA 30820

Mitchell Baptist Church

706-598-2309

6745 Washington St

Mitchell, GA 30820

(mailing address is 9337 Chapel Rd;

Mitchell, GA 30820)

Monticello Baptist Church

(706) 468-6452

334 W Greene St

Monticello, GA 31064

Mosleyville Baptist Church

478-452-1723

106 Oak Dr, SE

Milledgeville, GA 31061

Mount Moriah Baptist Church

478-412-3333

1183 Mt. Moriah Rd

Tennille, GA 31089

Mt Stephens Baptist Church

706-467-2036

Mt Stephens Rd

White Plains, GA 30678

(mailing address is 6859 Edwards Rd; White Plains, GA 30678)

 

Northside Baptist Church

478-452-6648

1001 N Jefferson St

Milledgeville, GA 31061

(mailing address is PO Box 794;

Milledgeville, GA 31061)

 

Ohoopee Baptist Church

478-258-8331

7180 Ohoopee Church Rd

Tennille, GA 31089

(mailing address is PO Box 313;

Tennille, GA 31089)

 

Olive Hill Baptist Church

478-553-0035

5270 Indian Trail Rd, S

Sandersville, GA 31082

(mailing address is c/o Pam Boyd,

117 Stephanie Lane S-NE, Milledgeville, Ga 31061)

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church

478-552-6517

8287 Linton Rd

Warthen, GA 31094

Powelton Baptist Church

706-456-2989

5 Jones Bridge Rd

Sparta, GA 31087

(mailing address is

4316 Sparta Rd, SE;

Crawfordville, GA 30631)

 

Ridgeland Heights Baptist Church

706-373-8108

305 Ridgeland Dr

Sandersville, GA 31082

(mailing address is PO Box 31;

Sandersville, GA 31082)

 

Riverside Baptist Church

478-452-7560

250 Jackson Rd

Milledgeville, GA 31061

(mailing address is PO Box 609;

Hardwick, GA 31034)

Sandersville, First Baptist

478-552-2371

316 Mathis Circle

Sandersville, GA 31082

Sinclair Baptist Church

478-452-4242

102 Airport Rd, NE

Milledgeville, GA 31061

Sisters Baptist Church

478-552-2473

1807 E McCarty St

Sandersville, GA 31082

Smyrna Baptist Church

478-552-3754

857 Smyrna Church Rd

Sandersville, GA 31082

(mailing address is c/o A.L.

Denton; 1312 Veal Rd;

Sandersville, GA 31082)

Sparta Baptist Church

706-444-6656

9090 E Broad St

Sparta, GA 31087

(mailing address is PO Box 428;

Sparta, GA 31087)

Tennille Baptist Church

478-552-7350

203 N Main St

Tennille, GA 31089

(mailing address is PO Box 402;

Tennille, GA 31089)

Union Baptist Church

706-485-8854

2700 Union Church Rd

Warthen, GA 31094

(mailing address is c/o Ronnie

Peavy; 490 Peavy Ln;

Warthen, GA 31094)

Victory Baptist Church

478-452-2285

640 Meriwether Rd

Milledgeville, GA 31061

Westview Baptist Church

478-452-9140

273 Hwy 49, W

Milledgeville, GA 31061

The Word Community Church

478-451-3111

1340 Orchard Hill Rd

Milledgeville, GA 31061

PO Box 1111 (mailing address)

Milledgeville, GA 31059)

Newsletters
WBA History Cover.jpg
WBA Exec Comm Old.jpg
WBA Powelton Old.jpg

History

In 1783 The Creek Indians ceded the land between the Oconee and Ogeechee rivers. As this area was settled, the Baptists began establishing churches. By the end of the Revolutionary War, five Baptist churches created what is now called the Georgia Association.

Baptist churches rapidly increased to more than 50 by 1794. Consequently, the Georgia Baptist Association made provision to divide the churches into an upper and lower region. By 1800 the same area included the Georgia and Hephzibah associations. By 1828 growth demanded that the Washington Baptist Association be established. The first churches of the Washington Baptist Association included Darien, Bethlehem, Beulah, Jackson, and Sisters. Growth was rapid and eventually included churches like Fort Creek (Sparta), Island Creek, and Harmony. By 1832 five other churches joined making it a total of seventeen. Total membership in the Washington Baptist Association churches at that time was about one thousand.

The Georgia Baptist Convention was organized in 1822 and the Southern Baptist Convention was established in 1845. The Powelton Baptist Church in Hancock Co. bears the historical marker as the place in which the Georgia Baptist Convention was born.  Powelton Baptist Church is, for the most part, left in its original condition. By 1884, churches that had once been devastated by Sherman’s March to the Sea were now able to build or rebuild. Churches like Smyrna, Friendship W, Friendship G, Mount Stephens, and Milledgeville are among several who were established during that period.

 

By 1946 the Association began to explore the possibility of a missionary to assist the churches. Records indicate that the position could not be supported. However, by 1954 the Executive Committee of the Association acted on the recommendations of Marvin Pound, Fred Slater, and  Norwood Waterhouse to employ the first Director of Missions (associational missionary). Churches were asked to contribute $1.00 per member. Elmer Sizemore, a “country missionary” in Kentucky was interviewed and employed. Successive missionaries were Doyle Middlebrooks, Dan Hodges, and David Self.  Quillian Mercer is the current Associational Missions Strategist/Director of Missions.

 

Two of the major programs established by the Association were Youth camps in Crawfordville, Georgia and Coast for Christ in Ghana, West Africa. Youth camp has been a successful way to reach youth for over 60 years. Coast for Christ started when Dan Hodges had a dream to work with Eddie Eniem, a local Ghanaian pastor. This program continues to attract summer mission volunteers from the Association.

 

In 2003 the Association acquired land on Highway 24 east of Milledgeville where the current office now stands. The mortgage was paid in full in the summer of 2011. A note burning was celebrated at the Annual Meeting.

 

The building is currently being used to create opportunities to support member churches as they come together in the common bond of serving Christ. This would include the shared use of a mobile projection system, a 7 X 14 V-nose trailer, puppets, and other mission support items. Ministries like Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child (Shoe Box Ministry), prison ministries, plus an active Women’s Missionary Union and Men’s Ministry run concurrently. At present there are 43 member churches in the Washington Baptist Association.

 

Most of the above information was derived from the book History of the Washington Baptist Association of Georgia. It is a 275 page book written by T.E. Smith © 1979. There are limited copies at the Washington Baptist Association. A quilt produced by Mrs. Mary Cole provides drawings of member churches until 1990, and is displayed at the Washington Baptist Association. The office and resource center is located at 615 Hwy 24 East between Sandersville and Milledgeville.

Giving

Give

If you would like to give to the Association, you can give a check or cash designated to Washington Baptist Association:

  • Through your church

  • Mail it to: Washington Baptist Association; PO Box 476; Milledgeville, GA 31059

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. - Luke 6:38

Ministries
Contact
CONTACT
We want to hear from you!
Tel: 478-453-8111
General Information:
washba@windstream.net
Quillian Mercer, Associational Missions Strategist

brotherq714@gmail.com
Mailing Address:  PO Box 476;
Milledgeville, GA  31059
Physical Address:  615 Hwy 24 E;
Milledgeville, GA 31061

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