OMEGA, Ga. — More than 600 men, boys, and volunteers gathered Saturday evening, Feb. 8, for Beast Feast 2026 at Bethel Baptist Church, resulting in dozens of gospel decisions. The event, now in its fourth year, is a collaboration between Bethel and four other local churches as well as the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.
Omega itself has a population of about 1,300, so attendees come from far and wide across the region and beyond. Troy Dykes, pastor of Bethel, said they even had one man from Guam at this year’s event.
Scott Sullivan, discipleship catalyst for the GBMB, said the scale of the response in a small community shows God is at work. “What the Lord is doing in South Georgia, particularly in the Omega community, is simply amazing,” Sullivan said.
Dykes said this year’s attendance was the largest yet. “We thought we’d be excited if 200 showed up the first year, and we had close to 400,” Dykes said. “It’s held steady, but this year was by far the biggest.”
While some churches brought groups of men, Dykes noted that most attendees came individually, often inviting friends or family members.
One defining decision made early by organizers was to keep the event free.
“The minute this becomes a charged event, we’re not going to do it,” Dykes said. “There’s no ticket, no admission. It’s open registration until we’re full.”
The five churches—Bethel, Pine Level, Pine Forest, Pine Hill, and New Hope—work together to plan, fund, and staff Beast Feast. “We all pull together and make this event happen,” Dykes said, noting that the churches span two Baptist associations, with one independent congregation also participating.
“It’s a kingdom thing,” Dykes said. “This is not about building Bethel or building any of the other churches. It’s about building the kingdom.”
That commitment to kingdom-building resulted in a powerful response—45 men professed faith in Christ during the gathering. Another 50 indicated they wanted to learn more about Jesus, while 38 made decisions to recommit their lives to Christ. Ten also expressed interest in finding a church home.
“When you take out the workers, that’s almost 10 percent making a first-time decision for Christ,” Dykes said. “That’s incredible.”
Dykes added that the work doesn’t stop once a decision is made. “We sit down and go through the decision cards,” Dykes explained. “I contact the pastor of the closest church and say, ‘This is the name, this is where they live, this is the decision they made—can you follow up?’ It’s not about us. It’s about Jesus.”
Sullivan commended Dykes for the committed follow-up. “Discipleship is the lifelong process of growing toward Christlikeness and multiplying the experience,” he said. “Pastor Troy Dykes and the leadership team are living this out by not just giving men the gospel, but also giving them opportunities to serve and multiply their faith.”
Over four years, Dykes estimates the event has resulted in nearly 150 first-time professions of faith.
Attendees are gifted a Bible, so that every person leaves with a copy of the Word of God. This year, every attendee also took home a Beast Feast T-shirt, made possible through partnership with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. The shirts featured the Beast Feast logo along with Georgia Baptist Men branding.
“That kind of support allowed us to do something we normally couldn’t afford,” Dykes said. “But when you see someone give their life to Christ, it’s worth every dime.”
Reflecting on the evening, Sullivan said, “Just wow. Seeing hundreds of men worship and engage the preaching of God’s Word was powerful. Seeing 45 men surrender their lives to Christ and others indicate a desire to take their next step in discipleship is culture-setting.”
The event aligns with a broader evangelism emphasis among Georgia Baptists, as churches are trained and equipped to reach the more than 7 million lost people in the state. Dykes said Beast Feast demonstrates how local churches, working together across association lines, can create gospel opportunities that extend well beyond a single congregation.
Beyond the annual event, the cooperation has carried into other ministry efforts. The five churches are planning a series of Holy Week services, with each pastor leading a night focused on the life of Christ.
“It’s a beautiful thing to see the body of Christ working together,” Dykes said. “We’re coming together for more than just one event. We’re doing it for the glory of God.”
Share with others
