McDONOUGH, Ga. — Trea Brinson, lead pastor of Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, will be nominated to serve as vice president of the Georgia Baptist Convention at the annual meeting scheduled for Nov. 9-11 at First Baptist Atlanta.
Jim Perdue, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, said he intends to nominate his longtime friend, describing Brinson as “the real deal.”
"He loves Jesus, loves people, and has a genuine heart to reach his community with the gospel,” Perdue said. "His passion is clear; to take the gospel to everyone, everywhere. It’s more than a slogan; it’s a mission that drives everything he does.”
Brinson’s faith journey began in a divided home. “My parents divorced when I was around nine or ten years old,” he said. “Before entering my freshman year of high school, everything changed. Sitting at my mom’s kitchen table, I opened a Bible and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ.”
He was baptized the next day at Day Spring Baptist Church in Byron, Georgia. Soon after, Brinson and his sister began praying for their parents’ salvation. “Two years later, God answered those prayers in a way that still amazes me,” he said. “He saved both my mom and dad, transformed their lives, and even restored their marriage. During my junior year of high school, my parents were remarried—to each other. Only God could write that story.”
That experience, Brinson said, gave him “an unshakable confidence in God’s power to transform lives” and became the foundation for his calling to ministry.
Athletics were a major part of Brinson’s early life. “I enjoyed a successful high school career and dreamed of coaching at the collegiate level,” he recalled. “But after my senior year, surgery on two ruptured discs forced me to slow down and reevaluate my priorities. In that season of pain and reflection, the Lord deepened my love for Him.”
After returning to baseball, Brinson realized his passion for the game was fading while his love for Christ was growing. “Through heartbreak, God reminded me that the most meaningful thing I could do with my life was give it back to Him completely,” he said.
Early in ministry, Brinson helped launch two college ministries—one at UNC Chapel Hill and another at Valdosta State University. “Those experiences taught me how to build gospel-centered communities from the ground up, develop leaders, and mobilize students for evangelism and discipleship,” he said.
As a church planter, he saw God’s power at work “as we launched a new congregation with just four people in a living room, and it grew to over 300 members in a few short years, with more than 150 baptisms.”
Now leading Eagle’s Landing, Brinson has focused on revitalization and long-term gospel impact. “Each of these seasons has shaped me to think missionally, lead collaboratively, and serve pastors and churches with humility and vision,” he said.
Perdue noted that under Brinson’s leadership, Eagle’s Landing “has become one of the most diverse congregations in South Atlanta and has launched a long-term plan to plant 300 churches in the next 30 years.”
Brinson said the church’s focus aligns closely with the Georgia Baptist theme Everyone, Everywhere. “It’s more than a slogan—it’s a Great Commission vision that our church at Eagle’s Landing has been living out for the past two years,” he said. “Our mission is to invite everyone, everywhere to know and follow Jesus. We’re currently challenging every believer in our church to lead four people to Christ over the next five years.”
He added, “I want to help pastors and church leaders by giving them practical tools and training to strengthen both personal evangelism and disciple-making within their churches. My desire is to see congregations set clear, mission-driven goals that create a culture where sharing the gospel becomes a normal part of everyday life.”
The church has reported over 300 baptisms since Brinson’s arrival five years ago, with 81 baptisms last year.
Brinson said the Cooperative Program “matters because we can do far more together than we ever could on our own. It’s the heartbeat of who we are as Georgia Baptists—churches of every size and setting united around one mission: taking the gospel to everyone, everywhere.”
Over the past two years, Brinson has led the church to increase its Cooperative Program giving. In 2024, it also contributed $258,750 to Annie Armstrong, Lottie Moon, and Mission Georgia offerings. Brinson said the goal is for the church to give 10% of its budget to mission, including 5% to CP.
“When we give through the Cooperative Program, we’re not just funding ministries—we’re fueling missionaries, supporting church planters, training pastors, and advancing the gospel here in Georgia and around the world,” he said. “The Great Commission is too big for any one church, but together, we can reach them all.”
Brinson said he learned the meaning of servant leadership by watching mentors such as Dr. Jim Shaddix and Dr. Chuck Lawless. “From them, I learned that true servant leadership is rooted in resilience, humility, holiness, and love,” he said. “They modeled what it looks like to be disgusted by sin, to lead with grace, and to love people—even your enemies.”
Looking ahead, Brinson envisions Georgia Baptists as “a truly diversified body—people from every nation, tribe, and tongue working together to advance the gospel and make disciples both in our state and around the world.”
“I also see us becoming an evangelistic engine—creating and providing resources, tools, and training to help pastors and churches mobilize disciples to make more disciples,” he said. “If we work together, united in vision and purpose, we can become an unstoppable force for Jesus, reaching more people and transforming more lives than ever before.”
Perdue said he believes Brinson will serve with humility and conviction. “Trea is a devoted husband and father,” he said. “He and his wife, Cayla, have four children—Rilynne, Raegan, Reece, and River. They love the Lord, love the church, and serve with joy. I’m grateful for Trea’s friendship, encouraged by his faith, and confident that he will serve Georgia Baptists with humility, vision, and a heart for the gospel.”
Georgia Baptist churches are encouraged to announce nominations for convention officers in advance of the annual meeting. Early nominations help ensure candidates can be prayerfully considered by messengers before ballots are cast. Nominations may be announced publicly prior to the meeting (email editor@christianindex.org) or made in accordance with convention procedures.
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