RICHMOND HILL, Ga. — More than 350 Georgia Baptist pastors and church members gathered Tuesday and Wednesday for the first round of Engage 6 evangelism sessions across the state. The events are part of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s evangelism emphasis to reach the more than 7 million lost people in the state. Featured speakers will address topics such as reaching every home in your mission field, evangelistic events, and more.
At First Baptist Church of Richmond Hill, more than 40 pastors and lay leaders heard James Merritt teach on personal evangelism. Senior Pastor Scott Baker said hosting the event aligns with the church’s heart and mission.
“We believe in what Georgia Baptists are doing, and we believe especially in this particular focus,” Baker said. “We’re glad to do whatever we can to reach more people for Jesus and to help equip pastors to do the same.”
Baker said his prayer for the event was that both he and his congregation would benefit from the sessions. “My hope is simply to become more passionate about evangelism and to gain a few more tools we can pass along to our people,” he said. “We want to better equip them to reach their family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and classmates for Christ.”
Merritt, senior pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, used examples from Scripture, his personal testimony, and stories from gospel conversations he has had, to emphasize the necessity of intentionally pursuing personal evangelism.
Drawing from Mark 1:17, Merritt challenged listeners to remember that evangelism is not an optional program of the church, but its central calling. Following Jesus and sharing the gospel are inseparable, he said. “We are either fishermen or fish. There’s no in-between. If we’re following Jesus, we’re fishing.”
Merritt urged attendees not to “get over” their own salvation, recounting his own conversion as a 9-year-old boy. While acknowledging that evangelism can feel difficult, he insisted it need not be complicated. Though other evangelism tools are available, he declared that, “I don't think there's a greater tool than your testimony.”
He cautioned against allowing ministry responsibilities and internal church concerns to crowd out the mission field. “The work is not in the building,” Merritt said. “The work is in the fields.”
Merritt also pressed pastors to model personal evangelism themselves, stressing that a church’s passion for evangelism rarely rises above that of its leadership.
Darrell Joiner, pastor of Marshes of Glynn Baptist Church, said the gathering helped him refine his focus.
“It reminded me not to forget the business we’re in,” Joiner said. “We can get so caught up in the week-to-week demands of ministry that we lose sight of the fact that we’re called and commanded to share the gospel and win the lost for the sake of the kingdom.”
Joiner said he would encourage pastors who missed the first round of Engage 6 gatherings to attend a future session. “They missed a wonderful opportunity to be with other brothers, to grow, to fellowship, and to experience what God is doing through Georgia Baptists,” he said.
Craig Tremble, pastor of Second St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Statesboro, said Merritt’s message reminded him to focus on the urgency of evangelism despite the everyday pressures of ministry.
“We can be so focused on things around the building,” Tremble said. “But those are chores. The real work is in the field. The Lord isn’t measuring our buildings — He’s looking at how we’re winning others to Christ.”
Tremble invited church member Quincy Wilkerson to ride with him to the event.
“I wanted to be here because I want to be a faithful follower of Christ,” Wilkerson said. “I want to reach other people. What stood out to me was the emphasis on intention. You’ve got to want to do it. Evangelism starts with a desire to follow Christ faithfully.”
Additional Engage 6 gatherings are scheduled throughout the year in each of Georgia’s six regions, giving pastors and church members multiple opportunities to participate.
A complete schedule of remaining dates and locations is available at gbmbevangelismresources.com/engage-six.
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