Pictured above: Shiloh Baptist Church is Wade Collins’ home church and sending church as he ministers at Eastside Baptist Church. 

Vernon, FL – On his 70^th birthday, Wade Collins stood in the pulpit to preach his first official sermon as interim pastor at Eastside Baptist Church. 

Collins, a deacon and church member at nearby Shiloh Baptist Church, spent his career in the pipeline gas industry. Upon retirement he knew that his extra time would be spent in service to the Lord. 

“I knew I was called to teach and my ‘yes’ was on the table for whatever God called me to do,” said Collins. 

In order to make the best use of his time, he conferred with a group of wise counsel who helped him focus his energy on three main areas: teaching senior adult men at Shiloh Baptist Church, participating in a discipleship group with other men who can walk alongside one another in daily life, and serving on the West Florida Baptist Association church development team. 

“The goal of the development team is to help churches think through renewal efforts to help their church become healthy,” said Caleb Duncan, associational mission strategist, West Florida Baptist Association. “We receive training and resources from the North American Mission Board replant team to help with these efforts.”

As Collins learned more about church development, he began to feel burdened for dying and struggling churches. “Through his service, I and a few others noticed a call on Wade’s life and we began to have conversations about what that might look like at this stage of life,” said Duncan. 

Through his teaching and discipleship group, Collins deepened a faith, which began when he was very young. Through ministry with the church development team, he formed a rapport with the congregation at Eastside Baptist Church, leading Wednesday night Bible studies and workshops on discipleship. 

It wasn’t long before both churches, Collins, and Duncan agreed that he should lead the church and help prepare them for the next pastor. Some of the preparations include making the church more visible in the community, updating the website, and beginning small discipleship groups for spiritual growth and accountability. 

Shiloh Baptist Church held an ordination ceremony for Collins as they sent him out for ministry. “It has been a blessing for our staff and church seeing Wade’s spiritual growth and how God is working in and through his life. We’re praying that God sends many more out of Shiloh Baptist to plant and serve churches all over the world,” said Tim Brigham, senior pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church.

————————

Editor’s Note: The Florida Baptist Convention focuses on four main mission imperatives.  This article speaks to “Call out and disciple more God-called believers to fulfill the Great Commission each year.” For more information about the mission imperatives please visit flbaptist.org/about