Fall 2022 · Trumpet Report
Athens Celebrates 35 Years of Faithfulness
Athens, Georgia
- Pastor
- Steve Pinnick
- Correspondent
- Sydney Lowe
Greetings from Athens, Georgia! What a privilege it is to have a pastor who continues to respond to the call of God on his life. After 33 years of serving as our pastor in the Athens congregation, Pastor Gene LaValley and his wife Cheryl will step into the missionary field to take over the church in Mississauga, Canada.
We cannot express enough gratitude to God for all He has done in our congregation through their lives. As we step into our next chapter, we welcome Pastor Steve and Vanice Pinnick from the Tucson, Arizona, congregation!
In addition to our changes in headship, we are blessed to welcome Pastor Steve Wiktorski and his family back into the congregation.
After preaching the Gospel in Tallahassee, Florida, for eight years, Pastor Wiktorski will now enter full-time evangelism ministry. Pastor Jeremiah Sims alongside his wife Cindy will take over the work in Tallahassee, Florida.
Since our last report, God has been dealing with us about our fruitfulness in the city. As we continue to press in, God has given us new tools and methods to evangelize to young people and young families.
In July, we had our first 3-on- 3 basketball tournament where we saw 50 visitors and their families come out.
In August, we had an “End of Summer, Back to School Bash,” featuring pony rides, inflatables, and carnival games which drew in many young families.
We have also started Spanish-speaking services every Thursday, led by Pastor Julio Gonzalez. Out of all of these outreaches we have seen many souls respond to the Gospel.
We would like to express our gratitude to Pastor Eric Strutz, Pastor Frank King, and Pastor Jeff Beswick for ministering to our congregation. Pastor Strutz and Pastor King ministered to couples in our church through a marriage retreat and family seminar.
Pastor Beswick ministered with a Men’s Discipleship class while his wife, Nancy, shared her powerful testimony with the women in our congregation.
Lastly, on November 12, 2022, we will be celebrating our 35th anniversary! We give God all the glory, honor and praise for all He has done in this city over the years.
We are excited to welcome back Pastor Alvin Smith, who pioneered our church, and welcome Pastor Harold Warner to Athens for our anniversary services.
We thank you for your prayers as we continue to labor and reach the lost in Athens, Georgia.