Georgia Baptist Mission Board looks for pastors to minister to legislators

The Georgia Baptist Mission Board is seeking a small army of pastors to “minister” to state senators and representatives.

Executive Director J. Robert White of the Duluth, Ga.-based organization sent an email this week with the subject line “Public Affairs Pastors Training in South Georgia.”

“What we are trying to do is help our pastors, and in turn help our congregations, understand how the legislative process works,” White said on Friday when asked about the email and the two-day training scheduled for mid-May at Northside Baptist Church in Tifton.

The Georgia Baptist Mission’s call for ministry comes during a “challenging legislative session,” White stated in the email to the association’s pastors.

“Spiritually speaking and politically speaking these are very difficult days,” White wrote. “I want to ask you if you would be willing to be one of approximately 200 Georgia Baptist pastors that I am seeking who would be willing to minister to your local representative and/or senator to develop a relationship and to fulfill needs for ministry for him or her and their family. As pastors we understand the importance of developing personal relationships in order to effectively minister and also to bear influence.”

Churches have been political forever. Some are far more overt about it than others. There is prayer daily in the Georgia General Assembly. The House and the Senate both have pastors of the day. And those ministers — almost always there at the invitation of a specific lawmaker — bring a word of inspiration in a place that can usually use a few words of hope.

And when there is a legislative issue that the state Baptist community disagrees with, you can bet on a show of force in the House or Senate gallery and along the ropes outside each chamber in the Capitol. When the Senate Regulated Industries Committee held a hearing on casino gambling legislation last month, the Georgia Baptist Mission was well represented in the room.

The Georgia Baptist Mission Board has paid and registered legislative lobbyist Mike Griffin, who holds the title of public affairs officer. Griffin and White both testified in front of the Senate committee hearing on the casino gambling legislation.

It looks like they want more voices in the choir.

“In short, when you want to speak on issues, you need to have the right to be heard,” White said.

By building relationships with local lawmakers, ministers can be more readily heard, White said.

“I would think that a part of this might be as simple as taking the legislator and spouse to dinner for a time of fellowship, writing personal notes on special occasions and of course, praying for your legislator for divine guidance and wisdom,” White wrote.

At the end of the day, White said the Baptists need to show the lawmakers some love. And the Baptist Mission Board is willing to reimburse pastors up to $140 for the hotel room in Tifton, according to White’s email.

“I am praying for a large gathering of Georgia Baptist pastors who are willing to love on their legislators and be the spirit of Christ to them and their family,” he wrote.

This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Georgia Baptist Mission Board looks for pastors to minister to legislators."