Pastor’s Welcome

           One’s first impression of Pastor Jerry – much like that of Rays Church itself – is unassuming and comforting. Within minutes of meeting him one feels welcome and appreciated. He is committed to servant leadership as well as consistency and moral clarity. 

          Jerry’s family was living in Jacksonville Florida when his father was drafted into the military in late 1943. The family went to live with relatives in Bogalusa, Louisiana where Jerry was born in July 1944. His father received an early discharge at the close of World War II and the family returned to Jacksonville where they lived until 1953. His father was then transferred by his employer to Valdosta, Georgia where Jerry was introduced to the game of football.

           Upon graduation from high school Jerry enrolled at the University of Georgia and received a football scholarship after his freshmen year. After a redshirt year in 1963, he was a starting defensive end on Coach Vince Dooley’s first three teams, 1964-1966. The 1966 team won the Southeastern Conference championship and was ranked number 4 in the nation. Jerry had completed advanced Air Force ROTC studies with plans to be a career Air Force pilot, but just months before he was commissioned he discovered he was physically disqualified for military duty because of an injury sustained while playing football. He did not have a plan B.

After consulting with Coach Vince Dooley, Jerry decided he would attend graduate school to get an MBA degree and was given the position of graduate assistant coach. During that year he decided to attend law school, so he continued as a graduate assistant coach until he received his Juris Doctor degree in 1971. He joined the law firm of Fortson, Bentley and Griffin in Athens where he practiced law for the next thirteen years in the areas of real estate, contracts and banking law. Ironically he chose this path because it did not involve public speaking, as would several other areas of law practice. Little did he know the plans God had for him.

On August 29, 1978, the unthinkable happened. His first born, a daughter, died in a tragic accident while visiting family in Miami, Florida. As pastor Jerry puts it, “For two long, miserable years I lived with shadow of death over my life. I was a successful man but when I stood at the cemetery to bury my daughter there was no help, no answer to the agonizing quest, why? There was no relief for the awful pain in my heart; my success had failed me. I did have some crutches to help me, the remnant of my family and my good friend Don Terry. I had often thought to myself, at least it can’t get any worse. That was grossly underestimating the devil. It did get worse. On August 29, 1980, two years to the day after my daughter’s death, Don died in his sleep at age 43. Later that day I learned that my first wife had gotten a lawyer and was divorcing me. All this time I claimed to be a Christian but somehow that had never worked its way into how I lived. My life was not God centered and a life that is not God centered will most always be self-centered. My self-centered life crashed and burned leaving only a broken, empty shell of a man who had no hope. But God had a plan!”

“A merciful God intervened. The very night Don died I was on the wooden bridge spanning the creek that separated our homes, when a friend and hunting companion, Jim Kilgo appeared and we began to talk about Jesus, but in a way I had not heard before. To me Jesus was a Jewish man who died on the cross two thousand years for the sins of the world, was raised from the dead and returned to heaven from whence he had come. Jim talked about Jesus as though he was alive and present, a friend whom he knew, who gave him strength and hope to live in this fallen world. He said to me, ‘Jesus loves you and wants to give you power to overcome this adversity, if you will just give Him your life.’ I replied, ‘Jim, I’ve made a mess of my life, if Jesus wants whatever is left of it, He can have it’. Jim helped me pray and I recommitted my life to Jesus and His kingdom. In an instant despair and grief was transformed into a strange joy. I didn’t need answers anymore, I knew the One who holds death and hell in His hands, and He flooded my soul with comfort, hope and joy even in the face of death. It was embarrassing at first, I could not keep from smiling, even at Don’s a funeral. The difference was I had hope; I somehow knew I would see my Alden and Don again. Everything seems better when viewed through the lens of hope, especially eternal hope. “

During that period, Pastor Jerry committed himself to Christ as the Lord of his life, not just savior. He was asked to speak at Laity Sunday in the church he attended which led to invitations to speak in other churches and Christians organizations. Pastor Jerry realized that bringing people closer to their Lord and Savior was his true calling. So, in 1984 he left law practice and enrolled at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. After his first year of seminary, he received a student appointment at a Boggs Chapel. Under his leadership the church grew to become a full-time appointment, changed its name to Gateway Church, purchased land and built a new facility on one of the major highways into Athens. In 2007, upon request of the District Superintendent, with approval of Gateway leadership, Jerry began preaching an early morning service at Rays Church in Bishop, a community about twelve miles south of Athens. After pastoring both churches for three years Jerry decided to retire but Rays Church was growing and asked him to continue preaching there which he did and in June 2024 he will complete seventeen years as pastor of Rays Church.

Pastor Jerry has always maintained that a pastor is not an authority over a church but one of its members who has been called to preach and is put a position to be a positive influence with the congregation. Life experience and the influential figures in his own life helped shape his commitment to servant leadership in his pastoral responsibilities.

According to Pastor Jerry, the strength and resolve of Rays has grown at a sustainable pace during his time there. He has seen periods of growth in numbers but also a period of loss, but the church’s commitment to Jesus and service to His kingdom have never waned. Presently the church is growing, after successfully navigating the trials of the Covid years. Rays has always been a loving and caring group of followers of Jesus Christ and its leadership is confident that the best days for Rays Church and its community are ahead. It is clear to anyone who listens to his personal story, commitment to faith, and the energy with which he expresses his love for his church that he has been instrumental in shepherding Rays Church toward a bright future.

We invite you to join us at Rays Church on Sunday mornings: 10:a.m. Discipleship Classes; 11:00 a.m. Worship and on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Bible Study for all ages.