From schools to disaster zones and more, Mission Georgia ministries show far-reaching impact By HENRY DURAND, The Christian Index Wednesday, November 19, 2025 ATLANTA — Georgia Baptists heard a sweeping report on Mission Georgia at last week’s annual meeting, a presentation filled with testimonies of gospel impact in schools, clinics, disaster zones, and recovery ministries across the state. The report underscored what  Mission Board Executive Director Thomas Hammond called “a biblical response to the needs across our state.” Hammond told messengers, “Mission Georgia is the only offering we take every year that 100 percent of it is designated to reaching Georgia with the gospel. It’s every church ministering, caring, serving, reaching their mission field.” To illustrate the breadth of that work, Hammond and Mission Georgia lead strategist Beth Ann Williams highlighted key ministry areas. Each area is driven by partnerships between churches, associations, and volunteers who know their communities best. Why churches give Hammond introduced Senior Pastor Joey Rodgers of First Baptist Church Peachtree City, the top Mission Georgia offering giving church in the state. Rodgers said the motivation found in the call of Acts 1:8 call to carry the gospel into Judea, which Rodgers said is the state of Georgia. “You're only as strong around the world as you are at home,” Rodgers said. “And it’s not just about giving. It’s about going. We can turn our church to an outward focus and make a difference in our community.” Rodgers described how Mission Georgia helped his church forge relationships that opened doors with local schools, first responders, and families in crisis. When a high school coach tragically committed suicide this fall, school leaders came directly to the church campus for support. “It’s all through relationships,” Rodgers said. “You can’t be that church that’s going to respond to a need after the disaster happens. You have to already be in a relationship.” For pastors wanting to turn their churches outward, he said Mission Georgia “is an incredible vehicle” to help assess their community, build partnerships, and begin engaging their mission field in meaningful ways. Read Georgia Williams said childhood literacy has become “a foundational strategy of Mission Georgia,” connecting local churches to elementary schools so volunteers can help students practice reading. The Read Georgia program is provided at no cost to churches through the state missions offering. Lead Pastor John Waters of First Baptist Statesboro shared how his congregation launched Read Georgia after attending a Mission Georgia–sponsored “Love Your Neighbor” conference. Laypeople championed the effort, and existing relationships with the school district made the next steps natural. Volunteers now serve in two local schools. “We tell our church members they’re not teaching children how to read,” Waters said. “Professional educators teach people how to read. Our folks are helping the second graders practice their reading so that when they get to be third graders, their test scores will show an impact.” The results have been dramatic. “In the first year of Read Georgia,” Waters shared, “half of the children that were involved showed an improvement of the reading skills of an entire year and a half advance from just the one year.” Waters said volunteers often provide something even more personal, attention from caring adults. “For some of those children, it may be the first time some adult, other than the teacher, has read to them,” he said. When men volunteer, the impact is even greater in a community with many fatherless homes, Waters explained. For some students, it “was probably the first time that young second grader ever had a man read out loud to him.” The ministry has also built new relationships with families, including a young mother who met volunteers at a school “meet and greet,” found support through the church, and is now taking steps toward faith. Baptist Mobile Health Ministries Mission Georgia also helps churches meet medical needs. Baptist Mobile Health Ministries deploys mobile dental and medical units that provide free care at church- and association-hosted events. Last year, the ministry held 32 clinics where over 600 volunteers treated more than 1,400 patients who received over $1 million in free services. More significantly, the ministry saw 139 professions of faith in Christ. Pastor Quentin Self of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Canton said his congregation hosts clinics because they see firsthand the deep, often overlooked need for dental care. “One lady needed 17 teeth pulled,” Self said. “Can you imagine the pain she was living with?” The clinic served 35–40 people that day, with more than 20 church volunteers ministering in the waiting area. “There’s such an opportunity to build relationships and just show the people that we truly care,” he said. Through Mission Georgia funding, the ministry is available at no cost to churches or associations that want to host a clinic. Crystal’s story One of the most powerful testimonies came through video and on-stage interviews with Crystal Grider, whose life was transformed after Hurricane Helene. Disaster Relief teams were distributing food, water, and tarps when Crystal walked up. DR volunteer Alfred Jones said she “was willing to serve, but was desperately in need of help herself.” Jones, a former addict himself, recognized that there was more to Crystal's story. She recalled telling volunteers, “I needed help. I needed more than just food. I needed a life change.” Jones, who said “the Lord had strategically placed me there that day,”  prayed with Crystal and connected her to the Christian Women’s Center, where she began long-term recovery. Crystal has now graduated from the center, works at its thrift store, and has seen her relationship with her son restored. “My life then was full of addiction, homelessness and abandonment,” she said. “The Lord has replaced my anger with peace. He has replaced my abandonment with the truth that He will never leave me.” She is now a member of First Baptist Jonesboro, where the church’s One Way recovery ministry continues to disciple her. Richie Howard, local ministries and missions minister,  said, “Our main focus is evangelism and discipleship. As of last Sunday, she has joined the church, and I will soon be baptizing her.” Howard told messengers the most important thing about starting a biblical recovery ministry is having a heart for the broken. The need is great, Howard said. “Every Georgia Baptist Church is somehow affected by addiction in some way. I believe in every association there can be (a recovery ministry). There's a church in every association that can host a biblical recovery ministry.” World Cup ministry Williams also previewed a major statewide initiative tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Eight of the tournament’s matches will be played in Atlanta. With more than 100,000 Georgia youth and adults involved in soccer, 540 school teams and 137 clubs, she said the World Cup presents a “unique opportunity” for churches to build bridges. Mission Georgia will provide free resources and how-to guides for watch parties in parks, parking lots, or homes, children’s pop-up games with Bible discovery, sports clinics, and block parties, outreach at local soccer clubs, and adult and kid-friendly soccer-themed gospel tracts A Baptist Collegiate Ministries summer missions team will also be available to travel to churches statewide to help lead events. “You may not know about soccer,” Williams said, “but I guarantee there are people in your community who do.” Mission Georgia Builders A new ministry launching under Disaster Relief Director Dwain Carter will mobilize volunteer construction teams to help churches complete needed renovations they cannot afford. “We’re gathering volunteers from your churches under the umbrella of Mission Georgia Builders and going to the churches that need help with the volunteer labor,” Carter said. “That makes the funds that they have go even further.” Churches needing help and individuals wanting to volunteer can use an online form on the Mission Georgia website. “We need people with skills and people with no skills,” Carter said. He emphasized that the goal is simple. “This is another opportunity for us to be engaged and involved in helping churches as they continue to grow or even get established to reach their community.” ‘We’re not ever going to stop’ Hammond told messengers these ministries are just the beginning. “Understand this,” he declared, “Mission Georgia is continuing to be built out. We're not ever going to stop putting and adding more and more resources and ideas for pastors to reach their mission field with the gospel.” Hammond closed the in prayer, thanking the Lord specifically for working in Crystal’s life, and asking that her story would “be multiplied by thousands across our state,” as churches use Mission Georgia to reach their mission fields with Christ’s love. ___ Video of the Mission Georgia report and other annual meeting events can be viewed here. --- PHOTOS --- File: 20251118-153931-37d-Crystal 2.jpg Caption: Disaster Relief volunteer Alfred Jones speaks during the Mission Georgia report at the Georgia Baptist Convention's annual meeting at First Baptist Atlanta, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Lead strategist Beth Ann Williams, center, and Crystal Grider listen. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20251118-153935-7b8-Crystal 3.jpg Caption: Crystal Grider speaks during the Mission Georgia report at the Georgia Baptist Convention's annual meeting at First Baptist Atlanta, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Lead strategist Beth Ann Williams is at left. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20251118-153950-bf0-Thomas and Joey Rodgers.jpg Caption: Senior Pastor Joey Rodgers of First Baptist Church Peachtree City speaks with GBMB Executive Director Thomas Hammond, left, during the Mission Georgia report at the Georgia Baptist Convention's annual meeting at First Baptist Atlanta, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20251118-153938-fd1-John Waters 2.jpg Caption: Lead Pastor John Waters of FBC Statesboro speaks with lead strategist Beth Ann Williams during the Mission Georgia report at the Georgia Baptist Convention's annual meeting at First Baptist Atlanta, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. GBMB Executive Director Thomas Hammond is at left. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20251118-153940-acf-Quentin Self 1.jpg Caption: Pastor Quentin Self of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Canton speaks with lead strategist Beth Ann Williams during the Mission Georgia report at the Georgia Baptist Convention's annual meeting at First Baptist Atlanta, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. GBMB Executive Director Thomas Hammond is at left. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20251118-153944-5e9-Richie Howard 1.jpg Caption: Richie Howard, local ministries and missions minister at FBC Jonesboro, speaks during the Mission Georgia report at the Georgia Baptist Convention's annual meeting at First Baptist Atlanta, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Crystal Grider is at left. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20251118-153947-554-Thomas and Dwain.jpg Caption: GBMB Executive Director Thomas Hammond and Dwain Carter, Disaster Relief director, right, during the Mission Georgia report at the Georgia Baptist Convention's annual meeting at First Baptist Atlanta, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand) File: 20251118-153954-24c-Thomas prays.jpg Caption: GBMB Executive Director Thomas Hammond prays at the conclusion of the Mission Georgia report at the Georgia Baptist Convention's annual meeting at First Baptist Atlanta, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (Index/Henry Durand)