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Washington Baptist Association
P. O. Box 476
(615 Highway 24 E)
Milledgeville, GA 31059

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The Washington News
Volume 64 May 2022 Number 8
The purpose of the Washington Baptist Association is to support member churches as they come together in the common bond of Christ.
www.washingtonbaptistassociation.org E-mail: washba@windstream.net Phone: 478-453-8111

WBA Director of Missions Search Team Report

Dear Washington Baptist Association,
This information is being sent to all Association pastors and church organizational leaders as they appear in the WBA Book of Minutes.
The Washington Baptist Association Council is calling a meeting of the Association for the purpose of presenting the candidate of choice to the Association. The called Associational meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 6:30 PM and will be held at Northside Baptist Church in Milledgeville.
The planned agenda for May 3 is as follows:
6:30 PM — Welcome & Worship. Introduction of Candidate and Family. The candidate will share his vision for the Washington Baptist Association. The candidate will field questions from members of the WBA.
7:30 PM (following the first session) — Fellowship with the
candidate and family in the church fellowship hall.
3. 8:15 PM — Called WBA Meeting to considering extending a call to the candidate to be the next Director of Missions of the Washington Baptist Association.
The WBA Director of Missions Search Team is prepared to present to the WBA for consideration their candidate of choice as the next DOM/AMS of the WBA. Due to the timing of his announcement to his current place of ministry, we are not yet at liberty to reveal the candidate’s name at this time. However, we can share some particulars with you.
The candidate is 44 years old. He is married with four children ages 20, 18, 16, and 14. He has been in pastoral ministry for approximately 25 years, the last seven of which he has served as a senior pastor. He has served extensively in various Georgia Baptist Mission Board ministry roles including Disaster Relief. He has participated in and led numerous state, national, and international mission trips.
To give you some insight into his person, here are the candidates responses to two of the eight questions the search team asked him.
— Begin Candidate Comments
1. Please share with us your conversion.
When I was 7, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I have no doubt in my mind that from that moment, my eternity was solidified. At 7, I had a lot to learn about following God’s plan for my life, but I am thankful for the people that God put in my life to direct me in His path. My parents were faithful to get me to the church and I spent much of my summers and school breaks at the church volunteering.
When I was in middle school, I began to feel God’s prompting to do and BE more in my faith. I was a “good kid” and I wanted to do the right thing. I was bullied as a kid. I knew that God wanted me to step up as a leader, but because of my social standing, I didn’t feel like I could do that. One of my favorite verses is Exodus 14:14. It says, “The Lord will fight your battles for you, you won’t even have to lift a finger.” He gave me the courage to stand up. (Continued)

(Continued from Column One)
As I took steps in faith, He opened the doors for me to be leader—not for me but for Him.
2. Please share with us your sense of calling to associational ministry.
Missions has always been a key part of my ministry. As a student I was blessed to travel all over this country and do ministry and sing in our Youth choir. From 7th grade on, we did a mission trip/Choir tour every year as well as World Changers and local projects. I loved going and serving.
In college I learned about something called the Cooperative Program. I knew about Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong, but at my church, growing up, I just wasn’t exposed to the Cooperative Program—or I didn’t hear about it as a kid. I learned how the Baptist Vision of cooperation worked. During that college time period, I spent 9 weeks as a Georgia Baptist Summer Missionary. This mission opportunity had a big impact on my life.
I have lead or participated in mission trips to Cordele, Ga; Albany, Ga; Helen, Ga; New York City/Ulster Park, and Staten Island, NY; Whitley City, Ky; Arlington, Tx; Kentwood, La; and internationally to Canada, Moscow, Russia, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas. These have been solo trips, trips with youth groups, trips leading adults, completing Disaster Relief work, performing construction work and teaching in backyard bible schools. I believe in mobilizing God’s people to do His work.
As a pastor of an average Southern Baptist Church, I know that the church I serve can only go so far on its own. God can and will use anyone and everyone that is willing to submit to His will, but if His churches can come together as HIS CHURCH—what more can we do.
I see two primary roles of the Association and the Associational Missions Strategist: support pastors and mobilize churches. The AMSs that I know who have been the most successful are
pastors to pastors. They have set clear visions for the churches in their association to mobilize and serve at home and beyond.
— End Candidate Comments
In preparation for our May 3rd meeting please do three things.
Pray!
Make it a priority to attend the meeting.
Invite members of your church to attend with you.
Remember, Jesus loves you and I do too!
Serving the Savior,
Bro. Tim
Rev. Tim Oliver - Pastor
Lakeside Baptist Church
2 Timothy 2:21

Missionary Moment
Dr. Jerry Pickard, Interim Director of Missions

Woman’s Missionary Union
Harriett Amerson, Director

Dear WBA Family,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope that you had a wonderful Easter season. The death of Jesus on the Cross for our sins and His glorious resurrection are at the heart of our Christian Faith. Many of our churches celebrated the resurrection of Jesus with exciting worship services, sunrise services, cantatas, Lord’s Supper observances, and times of fellowship. We also have had the opportunity and privilege of giving to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. Through our giving we support the work of thousands of missionaries who serve through the Southern Baptist Convention to the end that precious souls are saved. What a privilege is ours!
I would like to encourage your attendance at the special called assembly of our Association on May 3, 2022. The
meeting will be held at Northside Baptist Church, 1001 North Jefferson Street, Milledgeville, at 6:30 PM. The purpose of the meeting will be to hear the report of our D.O.M. Search Committee, to meet and hear from the candidate for the position of Director of Missions for our Association, to ask questions, and to vote on calling this one whom the Search Committee is
presenting. This will be a crucial meeting for our Association, and we all need to be present. I’m looking forward to seeing you there.
In Christ’s Love,
Bro. Jerry

Men on Mission
May 17, 2022
Bethlehem Baptist Church
7:00 PM
Dr. Anthony Baker Speaker

Thursday, May 19, 2022
Lakeside Baptist Church
10:00 a.m.
Rev. Steve Foster—GBMB—Speaker
“Sharing Christ”

It’s so good to breathe that new spring air outside (when the pollen is not whirling around). It’s so good to be able to get outside and watch as new things come to life. I remember when I was a child, my Daddy and I would ride to the field. We would get out and he would kneel down and scratch the earth around peas that he had planted. You could just see the small plant coming up and turning toward the sunlight. We knew that we would soon have peas coming up all over the field.
I also remember when I was a child, the bulletin boards at school would have beautiful colored flowers all across the board. The message would read “April flowers bring May showers”. I didn’t know, as a child just how God adorned our world with beauty. As I’ve grown older, I love how God has spread His color all over.
I hope that your WMU is starting a new growth since Covid has leveled off. There are still those that have needs: people who have lost their homes, lost worldly goods, lost clothes, lost shoes, and the list goes on. We need to be on the look- out for those that have needs such as these and work toward helping them in any way we can. There are many other needs spread all over our counties. I’m sure it’s enough to keep us WMU ladies on the go.
We are all so blessed to be God’s children and He watches over us like love never ends.
Be sweet and I hope to see you closer to the end of the summer. We have several projects lined up and I can’t wait to get started.
Love to you all,
Harriett

Prayer Coordinator
Kim Cornett

Over the past months, church members throughout our association have joined in prayer concerning the Lord’s choice for the new Association Mission Strategist (AMS) to lead us forward as an association.
Our hearts are encouraged to hear that the members of our Washington Baptist Association Search Committee have found such a highly qualified candidate with a heart for association work. Prayer support continues to be critical.
Please take time to pray both as individuals and as church prayer group members for all aspects of the selection process.
Pray for the candidate, his family, and the members of his ministry flock that he will be leaving as he makes this transition. In addition, pray for unity among church members and among churches as decisions are made in the voting process.

Sunday School Moment
Kathy Self, Director
Please continue to Pray for Kathy as she recovers from surgery.

Budget Receipts from Churches
October 1, 2021 – March 31 , 2022

When is Your VBS?
In next month’s newsletter we want to include a list of our Association churches who are sponsoring VBS this summer. Please email your dates and times so we can let everyone know.
washba@windstream.net

Happy Mother’s Day

		Hardwick	2,625.00	Olive Hill
Bethel	250.00	Harmony	900.00	Pl Grove	1,200.98
Bethlehem	1,400.00	Is.Creek	6,000.00	Powelton
Black Spr	500.00	Jewell	586.02	Ridge Hgt	749.74
Church Ctl		Lakeside	10,176.64	Riverside
Community	440.91	Lighthouse		S’ville 1st	6,498.00
Culverton		Long Cr	450.00	Sinclair	750.00
Darien	1,000.00	M’vill 1st	3,875.04	Sisters	3,717.68
Davisboro		Min Sprgs	1,500.00	Smyrna	1,800.00
Devereux	600.00	Mitchell	500.00	Sparta 1st	1,018.00
Fairmount		Mosleyville	750.00	Tennille	671.00
FriendshipG	450.00	Mt Steph.		Union	650.00
FriendshipW	1,037.00	Northside	6,767.62	Victory
Grace		Ohoopee	1,594.00	Westview	2,904.82
				Word Comm

Time to Register for
WBA’s Youth Camp!
July 11-16,2022
Located at the AH Stephens Park in Crawfordville
Deadline for youth registration is June 10th
Go to www.washingtonbaptistassociation.org and click on the Youth link to get the application.