Senior Pastor Stephen Wood
Rev. Stephen Wood has been a pastor since 1980 and began serving Sandy Valley in January 2023.
Stephen has been a corporate chaplain with Marketplace Chaplains USA and formerly a consultant with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. Previous churches in Georgia where Stephen has served as Senior Pastor are Pine Crest Church, Gainesville, River’s Edge Church Suwanee, First Baptist Church Buford, McConnell Memorial Baptist Church, Hiawassee, Mt. Tabor Baptist Church, Duluth, and First Baptist Church, Gay. He is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Stephen has been married to his wife Julie for over 40 years. Julie serves as the Accounts Payable Administrator for THC, Inc., a land acquisition, and sound mitigation company. They have two adult children, Jonathan and Hannah. Jonathan is a medical doctor serving as a pediatrician in Norcross, GA. Hannah has been serving with Chick Fil A for the last two years. We are very excited to be here at Sandy Valley and we look forward to serving the Lord with each one of you!
Rev. Stephen Wood has been a pastor since 1980 and began serving Sandy Valley in January 2023.
Stephen has been a corporate chaplain with Marketplace Chaplains USA and formerly a consultant with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. Previous churches in Georgia where Stephen has served as Senior Pastor are Pine Crest Church, Gainesville, River’s Edge Church Suwanee, First Baptist Church Buford, McConnell Memorial Baptist Church, Hiawassee, Mt. Tabor Baptist Church, Duluth, and First Baptist Church, Gay. He is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Stephen has been married to his wife Julie for over 40 years. Julie serves as the Accounts Payable Administrator for THC, Inc., a land acquisition, and sound mitigation company. They have two adult children, Jonathan and Hannah. Jonathan is a medical doctor serving as a pediatrician in Norcross, GA. Hannah has been serving with Chick Fil A for the last two years. We are very excited to be here at Sandy Valley and we look forward to serving the Lord with each one of you!
Associate 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 served as the Executive Secretary for the Rehoboth Baptist Association for 21 years. 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. In January 2023, he stepped down as Senior Pastor of Sandy Valley to become the Associate Pastor. This transition will allow more time to enjoy retirement with Kathy.
Phil is married to Kathy who serves along side him as an integral part of his ministry. Kathy also served as the Executive Secretary for the Rehoboth Baptist Association for 21 years. 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. In January 2023, he stepped down as Senior Pastor of Sandy Valley to become the Associate Pastor. This transition will allow more time to enjoy retirement with Kathy.
Director of Youth Ministries & AWANA, Bro. Antoine Jackson
Brother Antoine joined Sandy Valley Baptist Church more than 15 years ago. Antoine was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; however, he was not raised there. As a member of a military family, while growing up, he along with his family, occasionally relocated to various stateside locations. He graduated high school in North Chicago, Illinois. Although his dad was a United States Marine, Brother Antoine joined the Air Force because, “the Marines did not fit his personality” as comically stated by his father.
After retiring from the Air Force, Brother Antoine taught Air Force Junior Reserve OfficerTraining Corp (AFJROTC) at Warner Robins High school for 20 years. A widower since 2018, he is soon to remarry in early 2025. He has two daughters, four granddaughters and one grandson. Brother Antoine knows GOD has blessed him with the opportunity to continue working with children and youth - he came on staff at SVBC in August 2024. As he himself continues to grow in the LORD, he enthusiastically participates in the mission of helping children and and youth grow in the LORD as well.
After retiring from the Air Force, Brother Antoine taught Air Force Junior Reserve OfficerTraining Corp (AFJROTC) at Warner Robins High school for 20 years. A widower since 2018, he is soon to remarry in early 2025. He has two daughters, four granddaughters and one grandson. Brother Antoine knows GOD has blessed him with the opportunity to continue working with children and youth - he came on staff at SVBC in August 2024. As he himself continues to grow in the LORD, he enthusiastically participates in the mission of helping children and and youth grow in the LORD as well.
Director of Children's Ministries &
Audio Visual Tech Team Leader, Elizabeth Irby
Elizabeth has been a member of Sandy Valley Baptist Church since she was a child. She accepted Jesus and was baptized here at 7 years old. She married Gene in 2010 and though they do not have any biological children, they are rarely without children in their lives to love on. Elizabeth began volunteering in children’s ministry shortly after her marriage in 2010. There is nothing that brings her more joy than teaching kids about Jesus! She loves to serve her church family and during choir practice one evening in 2011, she was asked to run the CD player. She likes to joke that she did not say no and that led down a path that crisscrossed working in the sound booth and teaching kids. In September of 2023 she became the AV Team Lead. A year later in August 2024 she became the Director of Children’s Ministries. She never saw it coming and prays every day to be supplied with what she needs to serve faithfully and well.
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!
Office Manager, Lyn Gill
Lyn began working at Sandy Valley in July 2012 as our Church Secretary. She is married to Robb and they have two married daughters and two grandchildren. Lyn is a ministry assistant to all staff and handles all day to day church business. You will see her at SVBC Monday through Friday but most weekends you will find her at home refinishing furniture or working on an interior decorating project. She and Robb love to travel and go antiquing & thrifting. She is most passionate about women's ministry and intercessory prayer. Lyn truly LOVES her Sandy Valley family and looks forward to many more years serving with them.
Pianist & Hand Bell Director, Rev. Dallas Wilke
Rev. Dallas Scott Wilke has been serving in the Ministry since 2005, when he took his first position at Smith Street Baptist Church, while at the same time studying Music Education and Church Music at Brewton-Parker College. Having been raised in the Southern Baptist Church, Dallas accepted Christ as his Savior at the age of eight, following in Believer's Baptism shortly after. He has participated in the music programs at his churches and schools since he was a young child, knowing all the time it was his passion and calling. Dallas and his wife, Mystie, met in college, where she was studying music, as well. After getting married in October, 2014, they lived in St. Augustine, Florida for four years, where Dallas taught Math and Music at Beacon of Hope Christian School. In 2018, they moved to Mystie's hometown of Warner Robins, where Dallas became a full-time Real Estate Appraiser, which is his current full-time job. In December of that year, their daughter, Madilyn was born. Dallas has served as Director or Minister of Music at multiple Churches in Georgia and Florida, as the Lord led, including Smith Street Baptist Church, College Hill Baptist Church, First Baptist Collins, and First Baptist Hastings, Florida, where he began preaching, as well as leading music. Dallas was ordained to the Gospel Ministry in 2017 and in 2018 began serving Sandy Valley Baptist Church as the Pianist. After playing and arranging/writing handbell music in college for 4 years, Dallas has had a desire to lead a Handbell Program at a church ever since. In 2023, Pastor Stephen Wood proposed a Handbell Ministry, and Dallas was excited and blessed to be able to step into the position of Handbell Director. Dallas is excited for many more years of ringing praises to the Lord!
Dallas and Mystie are active members of the Perry Players, both directing shows and acting in them, as well as teaching private voice and other instrument lessons. They consider these positions to be their mission field, and pray to bring the Gospel to those they know and work with.