It was a historic year at Olive Baptist Church as the congregation witnessed a significant increase in people coming to saving faith and following through with baptism. Former pastor Jerry Passmore long desired to see lives changed and prayed that the church would baptize an average of at least one person per day. His evangelistic heart was inspired by Acts 2:47, which states, “The Lord added to their number daily.”
During his years as pastor, Passmore laid a foundation for the congregation to be evangelistic, to make prayer a focus of ministry, and to keep kingdom advancement a priority. “The Lord has done remarkable things,” said Ted Traylor, senior pastor of Olive Baptist Church.
Recognizing that God gives the harvest, the church actively offers training to help members effectively share their faith and encourages “prayer warriors” who faithfully pray for the gospel to go forth and change hearts.
One major difference in 2025 was the addition of a next steps minister who contacts every guest to follow up on decisions of faith, baptism, use of spiritual gifts and growth through discipleship and church connection. Josh Dickens, minister of next steps, is intentional about connecting with each guest and helping them discern their next step. The church also has a next steps room that can be visited before, during or after services, where guests can ask questions and get connected.
Many of those baptized in 2025 were college students and young adults who attend Crossroads ministry events on Tuesday evenings. Members of the ministry are active on campus at the University of West Florida, located about one mile from the church. They set up tables with thought-provoking questions, engage students in conversation, share the gospel, and participate in Baptist Collegiate Ministries events and prayer walks.
Every service—whether a Tuesday evening Crossroads gathering or Sunday morning worship—ends with an altar call. “I continue to give gospel invitations every Sunday, and as a church we seek to help people get to the cross,” Traylor said.
In 2025, every generation saw an increase in baptisms, from the youngest child to a 93-year-old. “We recognize that every person baptized has a name, a need and a network,” said Tim Hunter, associate pastor of Olive Baptist Church. “Each person has a different need following baptism, and whether it is discipleship or a cancer support group, we connect them with a group that can walk alongside them.”
The network of each person is like casting a wide net to new groups of family members, friends, co-workers and classmates. Olive Baptist Church also has a large military ministry, with service members and their families coming and going and taking the gospel around the world. “The network of new believers can reach far and wide. One thing every church and every pastor can do is proclaim the Word of God and leave the results to Him,” Hunter said.
With 91-year-old Passmore at his side and Traylor celebrating 35 years as pastor of Olive Baptist Church, the two men together baptized the 365th person of the year. Together, they have seen that God blesses the preaching of the Bible and that His Word does not return empty.
