Jimmy Corbitt celebrates 60 years of ministry, 25 years at Bethany

By JASON QUEEN, The Christian Index

Thursday, October 1, 2026

BOLINGBROKE, Ga. — After 60 years in ministry and 25 years leading the church he planted, Jimmy Corbitt recently stepped down as lead pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Bolingbroke.

“I’ve seen God grow this church to where it is today,” Corbitt said. “I'm so thankful that I was able to be a part of that. I know that the church is going to continue to grow."

Corbitt’s 60-year ministry was celebrated Aug. 30, with friends, family members, church members, and ministers influenced by his ministry in attendance. Many of those he influenced have gone on to serve in ministry.

One of those is Jim Duggan, who leads Bellevue Baptist Church in Macon. Duggan met Corbitt at age 12 while attending Pine Forest Baptist Church in Macon, where Corbitt was pastor. Corbitt was the first person Duggan told about his call to ministry.

Corbitt encouraged him, prayed for him, taught him to study and teach the Bible, and taught him how to preach. “He’s been a mentor, friend, and most importantly, a sterling example to follow. I never came close to that bar he set, but I have always been thankful for the trail he blazed before me,” Duggan said.

Corbitt was moved to tears by all the tributes at the celebration. “It's all about God. It's all about Jesus. I’m just His servant,” he said.

Corbitt’s wife of 55 years, Susan, said the secret to his ministry is humility and a heartfelt attitude. “Jimmy's always loved the people, and I think that showed Jesus to them more than anything,” she said. "He’s the same at home as he is in the pulpit."

Daniel Corbitt, who served with his father as minister of music and youth pastor at Bethany, said his dad has a very winsome approach when it comes to reaching people. “He is just a fantastic personality himself, but he never focused it on himself,” he said. 

Jimmy's mission statement is simple: Share the gospel, and train people to share the gospel.  “That’s a good pattern I think,” Jimmy said.

Reminders of the impact of Jimmy's ministry sometimes come unexpectedly. “I went and picked up a meal and was bringing it back to the house. As I was leaving, I noticed a couple with a little child coming in to eat. The lady said, ‘Brother Jimmy, you led me to Jesus years ago.’ That just tore me apart, if you want to know the truth, and made me think, ‘Lord, that’s what it’s all about.’”

That emphasis on evangelism began early in Jimmy's life.

Jimmy grew up in Macon, the first of five children to godly parents who actively attended West Highland Baptist Church in west Macon. He made his profession of faith under his pastor, Terry Taylor, at age 16. “He said, ‘I like the way you present yourself on the basketball court, but have you ever received Jesus as your Lord and Savior?’ And I said, ‘I thought I did when I was coming up, but I really didn’t know for sure.’ He said, ‘Well, you need to know for sure.’”

After announcing his call to ministry, Jimmy, the star basketball player, found a corner of the gymnasium, and he and teammate Ben Haygood met with some other students each morning at Lanier High School for prayer and Bible study.

At age 18, he began leading the youth at West Highland. During this time, Taylor taught him about evangelism. “I learned how to visit people in their homes and teach them about receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord,” Jimmy said.

Jimmy also learned that reaching people requires effort. “I’ve always been active in reaching out to people, whether I knew them or not,” he said. He added, “If you're not reaching out to people, your church won't grow.”

From 1967 to 1971, Corbitt served as youth director at Bellevue Baptist Church and associate pastor at Mabel White Baptist Church, both in Macon. While at Mabel White, he also pastored Bowden Homes Chapel and Lakeview Baptist Church, both missions of the church. He served alongside Pastor Hubert Wheeler and used his musical talents, including his 12-string guitar, on choir tours across the United States.

After he and Susan married, they began their ministry together at Lakeview Baptist Church on Lake Tobesofkee in west Macon.

In 1972, Corbitt attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. While there, he pastored First Baptist Church of Mill Creek, Oklahoma, and served as associate pastor and minister of youth and music at Briar Baptist Church in Azle, Texas.

He returned to Macon to serve as full-time minister of youth and evangelism at Cherokee Heights Baptist Church. The youth ministry grew, and several of those involved later entered full-time ministry, including Harry Graves, now minister of music at Bellevue Baptist Church. Corbitt later completed his seminary studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Corbitt then served 11 years as senior pastor of Pine Forest Baptist Church in Macon, where he organized evangelistic events at the Macon Coliseum with Jay Strack and hosted revivals with evangelists including Jesse Hendley, Bailey Smith, Ike Reichard, and Jimmy Jackson.

“We had 100 people saved for three years in a row,” Corbitt said.

Susan said that throughout his ministry, Corbitt never sent out a résumé.

In 1990, he became pastor of Milford Baptist Church in Marietta, serving there for four years. He later pastored Central Baptist Church in Winchester, Kentucky, before returning to his home church, West Highland Baptist Church in Macon, where he served eight years and had the privilege of baptizing his son Daniel at age 6.

In 2001, Corbitt planted Bethany Baptist Church. During the church’s early years, he worked full-time for Resource Services Inc. of Dallas, Texas, as a consultant to churches across the country. He pastored Bethany bivocationally for three years before becoming full-time in 2004.

During his tenure at Bethany, he traveled to Orphanage Emmanuel in Honduras, where he preached and baptized 34 converts to Christ. 

Susan said one of the most important lessons the family learned through planting Bethany was that God has a plan, He works the plan, and He provides. “He provided people with building skills. He provided people with teaching skills. He provided people who would just come and say, 'I'm your huckleberry.' And God provided every single thing and every single person that we needed,” Susan said.

Jimmy said his greatest joy in ministry was ordaining Daniel for full-time ministry and later serving alongside him at Bethany.

Jimmy said ministry is much like playing basketball.

“You better know what to do. You better know how to use the talents that God has given to you physically in that aspect, but also spiritually. He will guide you,” he said. Susan said it is important to know your teammates, and Daniel added that “you gotta love your teammates.”

Jimmy and Susan plan to remain at Bethany and serve wherever they are needed. He also hopes to spend more time with family, continue his weekly golf game, and keep singing with Susan at churches and community events, often accompanied by his 12-string Martin guitar.

For Corbitt, stepping away from the pastorate does not change the approach that has guided him through six decades of ministry.

“I trust the Lord,” he said. “You keep your faith in Him. He will guide you. You’ve just got to keep your eyes on Jesus and what He wants to do, not only in your life, but in the life of the church.”

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Caption: Jimmy Corbitt and his wife Susan at a celebration of his 60-year ministry. (Photo/Facebook via Jeff Gongwer)

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Caption: Jeff Gongwer, right, GBMB Pastor Wellness Catalyst, presents a plaque to Jimmy Corbitt at a celebration of Corbitt's 60-year ministry. (Photo/Facebook via Jeff Gongwer)