In the early 1920s, Martha Berry, founder of Berry College in Rome, attended a fundraising dinner in New York City. There she met Henry Ford, and she appealed to him to financially support the work of her small, country school back in Georgia. Ford dug around in his pocket, pulled out a coin, and handed it to Berry: “Here’s a dime. See what you can do with that.”

Last Sunday in worship, we observed one of the rituals that makes Baptists who we are- believer’s baptism by immersion. Next Sunday, October 27, we will practice another – church conference. One might not think of a meeting as being a key distinctive for a church or any other organization. But the way we meet is central to our identity as Baptists and as FirstBaptist Church of Christ.

This Sunday, October 13, our congregation celebrates with two of our young people, Stella Johansen and Harper Brown, as they follow Jesus calling them into the waters of baptism. Each time that I witness a baptism, I am reminded of my own. I was eight years old when I decided I wanted to make my profession of faith public. My mother suggested that I go talk to the pastor before walking the aisle of my home church, to which I replied, “I don’t need to talk to the preacher.

This past weekend, forty women traveled to St. Simons Island for our church’s annual women’s retreat.  The theme was “Storytelling: Weaving a Tapestry of our Belonging,” and each of our retreat sessions included several participants telling a five-minute story around a particular topic. Some of them were funny; some were poignant; all of the stories gave the other attendees a glimpse into the storyteller’s life and faith in a way that deepened our relationships with each other. As often happens in the telling of stories, each listener found some point of connection to her own experience, something that made her say, “Yes!  Me, too.”

What an amazing time to be a part of First Baptist Church of Christ at Macon! Our almost 200-year-old church is both steeped in history and in touch with today’s issues.  Here we are offered majestic worship, nurturing relationships, and opportunities to reach out to a world in need. Some of us have been a part of the congregation for generations and others have recently joined.

The pastoral installation service we shared last Sunday is lingering in my mind and in my heart.

In March of 2023, Erika Houser began her role as our Interim Director of Children’s Ministries, having served as a regular children’s Sunday School teacher before that for most of her college years.

“Now that we have a pastor, what are we going to do about our other staff needs?” I’ve heard some version of this question asked many times over the past several weeks, as I imagine many of you have!

In This Moment, With These People August 4, 2024 Written by Julie Long, Pastor On the morning of July 1, I began my month away with a walk in the woods at the Wesleyan College arboretum. I often go to this spot (a lesser-known Macon treasure) for an early morning...