Pastor Phil Bryant
Phil Bryant was born in Cochran, GA and raised in Macon. At the age of 12 he prayed to receive Christ as his personal Lord and Savior at Mable White Baptist Church. At 26, Phil began to experience some changes in his life but questioned whether it was God's leading or his own ambitions about serving the Lord. In October 1981, he accepted the call into full-time ministry.
Phil graduated from the University of Georgia in Athens in 1968, with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and in 1985, received his Master of Divinity at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.
Phil is married to Kathy who serves along side him as an integral part of his ministry. Kathy also serves as the Executive Secretary for the Rehoboth Baptist Association, which includes 54 churches and missions across 5 counties in Middle Georgia. Phil and Kathy have three grown children and four grandchildren.
Phil previously served as Minister of Education and Outreach in Kentucky, as well as churches in the Middle Georgia area. He served as Minister of Education and Outreach at Sandy Valley beginning in 1993, and in 1998 assumed the duties of full-time pastor.
Phil graduated from the University of Georgia in Athens in 1968, with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and in 1985, received his Master of Divinity at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.
Phil is married to Kathy who serves along side him as an integral part of his ministry. Kathy also serves as the Executive Secretary for the Rehoboth Baptist Association, which includes 54 churches and missions across 5 counties in Middle Georgia. Phil and Kathy have three grown children and four grandchildren.
Phil previously served as Minister of Education and Outreach in Kentucky, as well as churches in the Middle Georgia area. He served as Minister of Education and Outreach at Sandy Valley beginning in 1993, and in 1998 assumed the duties of full-time pastor.
Associate Pastor Dr. Don Jenrette
Dr. Don Jenrette was born at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Florida, and raised in the South Georgia town of Adel, Georgia. At the age of 9 he prayed to receive Christ as his personal Lord and Savior at Gordon Avenue Baptist Church. After his son-in-law, Ryan Williams, was killed riding his motorcycle, God’s pull became stronger upon Don because of His faithfulness in leading Ryan to Him months before his death. In September 2013, he accepted the call into the ministry, received his Certificate of License in The Gospel Ministry in November 2013, and called to serve at Sandy Valley Baptist Church in September 2014 as Associate Pastor.
Don retired as a commissioned officer in 1995 from a 24-year Air Force career, and served in church lay leader jobs in Guam, Alabama, Illinois, and Maryland. He also retired from Civil Service as Drug Demand Reduction Program Manager for the national headquarters of the Air Force Reserve located at Robins AFB in January 2017.
Don has also served as an adjunct professor at Middle Georgia State University teaching Sociology and Criminology courses since 1999 through the Fall Semester of 2014.
Don graduated from the University of Georgia in Athens in 2004 with a Doctorate in Education with emphasis in Adult Education and Life-long Learning. In 2017 he graduated from Andersonville Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry degree with emphasis in Pastoral Leadership.
Don married the former Faye Brown from Hawkinsville, Georgia in 1976. Faye serves alongside him as an integral part of his ministry and the ministries of Sandy Valley Baptist Church. Don and Faye have three grown children, Jennifer, Roxanne, and Edwin, and five grandchildren, Tre, Jacob, Madison, Sophie and Tucker.
Dr. Don Jenrette was born at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Florida, and raised in the South Georgia town of Adel, Georgia. At the age of 9 he prayed to receive Christ as his personal Lord and Savior at Gordon Avenue Baptist Church. After his son-in-law, Ryan Williams, was killed riding his motorcycle, God’s pull became stronger upon Don because of His faithfulness in leading Ryan to Him months before his death. In September 2013, he accepted the call into the ministry, received his Certificate of License in The Gospel Ministry in November 2013, and called to serve at Sandy Valley Baptist Church in September 2014 as Associate Pastor.
Don retired as a commissioned officer in 1995 from a 24-year Air Force career, and served in church lay leader jobs in Guam, Alabama, Illinois, and Maryland. He also retired from Civil Service as Drug Demand Reduction Program Manager for the national headquarters of the Air Force Reserve located at Robins AFB in January 2017.
Don has also served as an adjunct professor at Middle Georgia State University teaching Sociology and Criminology courses since 1999 through the Fall Semester of 2014.
Don graduated from the University of Georgia in Athens in 2004 with a Doctorate in Education with emphasis in Adult Education and Life-long Learning. In 2017 he graduated from Andersonville Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry degree with emphasis in Pastoral Leadership.
Don married the former Faye Brown from Hawkinsville, Georgia in 1976. Faye serves alongside him as an integral part of his ministry and the ministries of Sandy Valley Baptist Church. Don and Faye have three grown children, Jennifer, Roxanne, and Edwin, and five grandchildren, Tre, Jacob, Madison, Sophie and Tucker.
Director of Youth Ministries, Elissa Fudge
Elissa believes that children are the future of the church and desires to create an atmosphere for youth to connect personally with God by laying a Biblical foundation and providing opportunities for them to influence their community for Jesus.
Goals
· Help youth trust Jesus Christ as Savior, and submit to Him
· Teach them how to apply the Word to their daily lives
· Help children discover their God-given potential through Christ-like attitudes, servanthood, and discipline Instruct, encourage, and help guide them into freely worshipping and praising our Lord Jesus Christ
· By the time children are 12 years of age, our goal is that he/she will have learned the following:
· Understand and experience God’s everlasting love
· The importance of having a personal relationship with Jesus
· Know how to comprehend and apply Scriptures to their lives Experience daily intimacy with God
· Have an awareness of their personal calling/purpose
· Experience the presence of God through Praise and Worship
Vision
Our purpose is to REACH non-believing students (evangelism), CONNECT students with other Christians (fellowship), to help them GROW in their faith (discipleship), and challenge them to grow to DISCOVER the needs of others (service), and HONOR God with their lives (worship).
As a student, you may be asking yourself, what does that all mean? Well, it means everything we do (special events, weekly gatherings, even just hanging out) has a purpose. It means that the songs we sing, the stuff we do, the things we study, and the way we invite you and your friends into our community…it all points to Jesus. He makes all the difference! All this adds up to a life that is far better than you could have ever imagined!
· Reach - Many teenagers in our community don’t go to church anywhere or don’t have faith that makes a real difference in their lives. What is our strategy for reaching these students with the Good News of Jesus? YOU! That’s right! YOU! We want to partner with you by providing tools and cool church experiences. Ultimately, it’s up to you to invite them to come along. It’s also up to you to share your faith.
· Connect - Friends are so important, but we’re called to something more than that. Imagine having friendships on a much deeper level than what you’re probably used to. Friends who know the real you and still invite you to things, friends who care about your journey with God, friends who encourage you, rather than judge you. These are Jesus-centered friendships. We offer many opportunities with gatherings, small groups, and events to build these deep meaningful relationships.
· Grow - A relationship with Jesus Christ should never be boring, stagnant, or stale. Instead, it should be vibrant, and exciting; as a result growing! We want to help grow your faith and understanding and commitment to Jesus.
· Discover - Take a look around. You don’t have to look very hard to notice that we live in a world that is broken and need people that can make a difference. That’s why we offer opportunities for you to get involved in serving others. From service projects, to mission trip experiences, that will help get you started, we want to see you become passionate about loving others.
· Honor - One of our goals is to help you live a life that honors God; after all, that’s what it means to worship! Honoring God through choices, attitudes, lifestyle, and how we live our day-to-day lives are the ultimate acts of worship. Virtually everything we do helps you live a life that brings honor to God.
Goals
· Help youth trust Jesus Christ as Savior, and submit to Him
· Teach them how to apply the Word to their daily lives
· Help children discover their God-given potential through Christ-like attitudes, servanthood, and discipline Instruct, encourage, and help guide them into freely worshipping and praising our Lord Jesus Christ
· By the time children are 12 years of age, our goal is that he/she will have learned the following:
· Understand and experience God’s everlasting love
· The importance of having a personal relationship with Jesus
· Know how to comprehend and apply Scriptures to their lives Experience daily intimacy with God
· Have an awareness of their personal calling/purpose
· Experience the presence of God through Praise and Worship
Vision
Our purpose is to REACH non-believing students (evangelism), CONNECT students with other Christians (fellowship), to help them GROW in their faith (discipleship), and challenge them to grow to DISCOVER the needs of others (service), and HONOR God with their lives (worship).
As a student, you may be asking yourself, what does that all mean? Well, it means everything we do (special events, weekly gatherings, even just hanging out) has a purpose. It means that the songs we sing, the stuff we do, the things we study, and the way we invite you and your friends into our community…it all points to Jesus. He makes all the difference! All this adds up to a life that is far better than you could have ever imagined!
· Reach - Many teenagers in our community don’t go to church anywhere or don’t have faith that makes a real difference in their lives. What is our strategy for reaching these students with the Good News of Jesus? YOU! That’s right! YOU! We want to partner with you by providing tools and cool church experiences. Ultimately, it’s up to you to invite them to come along. It’s also up to you to share your faith.
· Connect - Friends are so important, but we’re called to something more than that. Imagine having friendships on a much deeper level than what you’re probably used to. Friends who know the real you and still invite you to things, friends who care about your journey with God, friends who encourage you, rather than judge you. These are Jesus-centered friendships. We offer many opportunities with gatherings, small groups, and events to build these deep meaningful relationships.
· Grow - A relationship with Jesus Christ should never be boring, stagnant, or stale. Instead, it should be vibrant, and exciting; as a result growing! We want to help grow your faith and understanding and commitment to Jesus.
· Discover - Take a look around. You don’t have to look very hard to notice that we live in a world that is broken and need people that can make a difference. That’s why we offer opportunities for you to get involved in serving others. From service projects, to mission trip experiences, that will help get you started, we want to see you become passionate about loving others.
· Honor - One of our goals is to help you live a life that honors God; after all, that’s what it means to worship! Honoring God through choices, attitudes, lifestyle, and how we live our day-to-day lives are the ultimate acts of worship. Virtually everything we do helps you live a life that brings honor to God.
Director of Music Ministries, Diana Wilson
Diana has loved music her entire life. She began singing and playing piano at the age of 5 where she then immersed herself in music throughout school and in church. She has played piano in churches since she was 15. At the age of 23 she married her husband Kenneth. Later they became members of Sandy Valley where she was pianist for 16 years before becoming Director of Music Ministries in November of 2009.
Diana's full-time job is as a Legal Assistant for an Administrative Law Judge at the State Board of Workers' Compensation where she has been employed since March of 1996. Her husband, Kenneth, is employed at Robins Air Force Base as a Sheet Metal Mechanic on C-130 airplanes. They were married in March of 1993 and in 2000 had their son Kenny. Diana is also blessed with a step-daughter, Shawna and from her has two beautiful grandchildren, Larissa and Lenny.
Diana is very passionate about her calling as Director of Music Ministries here at Sandy Valley. She believes that God started preparing her for this position at the tender age of 5 when her love for music first began. She is focused on seeking God's will in every aspect of this ministry. She and the pastor work closely together to make sure the music ties into the theme of each sermon, which in turn creates what they both believe to be a very powerful worship experience honoring the Lord.
Diana loves her church and her choir is her family within our church family here at Sandy Valley. She encourages everyone who has a love for music to become a part of this family where their number one goal is to honor the Heavenly Father as they lead the church in praise and worship through song, giving God the glory for everything that is done!
Diana's full-time job is as a Legal Assistant for an Administrative Law Judge at the State Board of Workers' Compensation where she has been employed since March of 1996. Her husband, Kenneth, is employed at Robins Air Force Base as a Sheet Metal Mechanic on C-130 airplanes. They were married in March of 1993 and in 2000 had their son Kenny. Diana is also blessed with a step-daughter, Shawna and from her has two beautiful grandchildren, Larissa and Lenny.
Diana is very passionate about her calling as Director of Music Ministries here at Sandy Valley. She believes that God started preparing her for this position at the tender age of 5 when her love for music first began. She is focused on seeking God's will in every aspect of this ministry. She and the pastor work closely together to make sure the music ties into the theme of each sermon, which in turn creates what they both believe to be a very powerful worship experience honoring the Lord.
Diana loves her church and her choir is her family within our church family here at Sandy Valley. She encourages everyone who has a love for music to become a part of this family where their number one goal is to honor the Heavenly Father as they lead the church in praise and worship through song, giving God the glory for everything that is done!