From the beginning, Margaret approached her work with care, intentionality and a deep love for the mission of Florida Baptists. One of her lasting contributions has been the leadership of the Florida Baptist writers’ network; a group of five writers positioned statewide to cover ministry stories from every region. Through workshops, training sessions and personal encouragement, Margaret helped sharpen skills in storytelling through words, photos and videos, creating a supportive community where communicators could thrive.

Her dedication was especially visible during moments of crisis. Following Hurricanes Debby, Milton and Helen, Margaret’s coverage of Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers captured not only facts but compassion. She highlighted the hope of the Gospel and the heart of ministry on the front lines of disaster relief. Those stories went on to receive multiple Wilmer C. Fields Awards at the 2025 Baptist Communicators Association annual gathering—national recognition that affirmed the depth of her craft and her heart for people.

Florida Baptist Convention Executive Director-Treasurer Dr. Stephen Rummage shared these words of gratitude during his opening remarks at the State Board of Missions meeting Tuesday, November 11:

“I want to take just a moment to express our deep appreciation to Margaret Colson, who is completing her service as our Consulting Communications Editor. Since joining us in April 2022, Margaret has brought excellence, creativity, and a real heart for ministry to everything she’s done. She has helped us tell the story of what God is doing through Florida Baptists with clarity, warmth, and grace. Across the Southern Baptist Convention, Margaret is recognized as a respected leader in journalism and communications—someone whose professionalism and integrity have strengthened Baptist life for many years. We’re deeply grateful for the dedication, skill, and spirit she has shared with us. Please join me in thanking Margaret for her faithful and fruitful service among Florida Baptists.”

Beyond her role with the convention, Margaret is widely recognized across the nation as a Christian communications strategist and leader. She currently serves as executive director of the Baptist Communicators Association and executive secretary of the Association of State Baptist Publications. She has written thousands of articles, authored books, trained communicators, led webinars, and continues to serve ministries through her writing.

Those who have worked alongside Margaret know that her impact goes beyond output—it touches people. She believes in the power of words and in the power of encouragement. 

Outside of work, Margaret and her husband, Keith, enjoy life in the Atlanta area and peaceful days on their farm in middle Georgia. They love to travel and reflect on the beauty and lessons found in God’s creation. Margaret is also an avid runner and walker recently having backpacked the 82-mile Georgia Section of the Appalachian Trail.

Her life verse fits the way she has served Florida Baptists these three years:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”

—Hebrews 12:1–2

Margaret’s leadership, kindness, and unwavering commitment to telling the stories of God’s work have left a lasting mark and Florida Baptists are stronger because of it.

“We want to put on the full armor of God because we are playing an offensive game (in serving the vulnerable), and we want to pursue,” she said. The biblical passage on the armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-18, “never talks about protection on your back. Forward pursuit, right?”

“Listen, trust, be faithful’

Speaking at the 2025 Florida Baptist Pastors’ Conference held at First Orlando, Hatch described her personal journey to care for and serve the vulnerable.

“I was blessed to have a mother and father who were God-fearing and raised me in the church,” she said, adding that her parents provided opportunities for her to serve through missions. She recalled one “moment” as she served when she saw words emblazoned on a “big, white concrete wall at the very top.” The paraphrased message was from Isaiah 6:8: “And whom shall I send? And Isaiah said, ‘Here am I, Lord; send me,’” she shared.

“Those words have been seared in my brain and in my heart and, unbeknownst to me, that was a seed that was planted back in my childhood that I believe has woven the path that I’m walking today,” she said.

“And what’s great about that,” she said, “is it’s God’s plan and it’s His design” to call His people to serve.

“It’s my job to listen, to trust and to be faithful to His plan.”

‘Every moment matters’

At Celebration Church in Tallahassee, where Hatch is a member, Pastor David Emmert often challenges the congregation with the words, “Every moment matters.”

Hatch has taken those words to heart, “You don’t know what moment–that interaction with another human being–is going to make all the difference in the world, not only to them but also for future generations. Moments matter.”

To maximize moments to serve the vulnerable, Hatch believes that partnerships are vital.

“Hope Florida works to serve people at the earliest moment possible,” working with churches, not-for-profits and the private sector “to help families get back on their feet,” she said.

“Government cannot nor should not be all things to everyone,” she believes, stating that partnerships with “the church, performing as a body, as the hands and feet of Jesus, serving people every single day” is a key to making a lasting difference throughout Florida, with each partner embracing specific roles and “making sure we do not work in isolation if we want to serve people well.”

Hatch said that “individuals reach out to government many times on one of the worst days of their lives.

“How do we make the most of that moment and be the bridge? How do we as government make sure that we lift up people who need help with people who want to help?”

Since 2019, because of partnerships forged through Hope Florida, statistics indicate significant decreases in children entering foster care, in families relying on public benefits, in criminal justice offenders re-offending and in opioid-related deaths.

The task, now, she said, is to “maximize the moment. We want to put our foot on the gas a little faster. We want to keep going.

“It’s not always easy. We live in an imperfect world.

“Our prayer is that we are ready, as His followers, to try to make that moment matter not just for today but also for future generations.”

For more information on how your church can become a partner in serving the vulnerable, go to hopeflorida.com

ORLANDO— Herb Reavis, pastor of North Jacksonville Baptist Church, delivered a stirring message during the second day of the 2025 Florida Baptist State Convention in Orlando. Preaching from the story of John the Baptist, Reavis proclaimed that “Jesus is a Way Maker”—a Savior who works even when His people can’t see or feel it.

He began by reminding listeners of John the Baptist’s remarkable ministry. “John was the greatest preacher of his day,” Reavis said. “He had no facility, no staff and no social media. He preached in the wilderness, and yet people rushed out to hear him.” Crowds gathered as John called them to repentance and pointed them to the coming Messiah, declaring, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

But in the passage found in Matthew 11:1-6, the scene was different. John was no longer preaching by the river but imprisoned by King Herod for condemning his sin. “He had confronted the king for taking his brother’s wife,” Reavis explained. “Now, instead of crowds, he faced cold walls and darkness.”

In that isolation, Reavis said, doubt crept in. “The greatest enemy of a Christian today is doubt,” he told the audience. “Doubt leads to discouragement.” John, the same man who had baptized Jesus and seen the heavens open, sent word from prison asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Reavis empathized with John’s question. “His circumstances had changed,” he said. “He was used to preaching under the open sky; now he’s cooped up in a cell. The crowds were gone. He went from hundreds being baptized to silence.”

Reavis challenged pastors and ministry leaders who might be feeling similarly forgotten. “Maybe you’ve fasted and prayed, and still you’re leading a church that feels like ‘Night of the Living Dead,’” he said to knowing laughter. “But success in ministry is not measured by visible results—because God is working in places you never thought He’d work.”

He shared a story from his own experience. Years earlier, he had pastored what he described as a “dead” church. “I thought nothing was happening there,” Reavis said. “But years later, I got a letter from a young man who told me I had baptized him in that church as a child—and now he was serving as a youth pastor preparing for seminary. God had been working all along.”

Reavis was careful to make a key point: “Doubt is not a sin,” he said. “The difference is what you do with it. John took his doubts to Jesus—and that’s what we must do.”

He then turned to Jesus’ response to John’s question. He told the disciples: “Go and tell John what you hear and see.” Reavis unpacked the depth of that answer. “The miracles of Jesus give us a foretaste of what’s to come,” he said. “They show that He cares, that He wants to relieve human misery, and they reveal the supernatural power of the gospel itself.”

“The miracles of Jesus,” Reavis continued, “carry a message: Just because you can’t see, feel or hear Me working doesn’t mean I’m not working.” He urged pastors to hold on to that truth in discouraging seasons. “Be encouraged. Keep sharing the gospel. Even if you can’t see Him working, be assured that He is.”

Closing with a word of hope, Reavis reminded the crowd that Jesus still makes a way where there seems to be none. “In your doubt, in your discouragement, in your disappointment—He is working. And one day, you’ll look back and see that the Way Maker was there all along.”

ORLANDO— Jimmy Scroggins, pastor of Family Church in West Palm Beach, delivered a bold message during the closing of the morning session of the 2025 Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting at First Orlando.

Preaching from 2 Corinthians 5:11–21, his sermon, titled Call Up Ambassadors, reminded pastors and churches of their ultimate mission, to represent Jesus Christ and call people to be reconciled to God.

Scroggins began by reflecting on his lifelong connection to Florida, expressing gratitude for the pastors and churches spread across the state, from large cities like Miami and Orlando to small towns like Chiefland and Arcadia. “Florida Baptists are everywhere,” he said, before posing a convicting question: “What business are we in? What are we really doing here?”

He quickly answered his own question. “We’re not primarily a political movement, although politics matters. We’re not primarily a conservative movement, although being conservative matters. We’re not here to save Western civilization, though that matters too,” Scroggins said. “We are ambassadors for Christ­–working to see men and women, boys and girls, from every neighborhood and every nation reconciled to God by faith in Jesus.”

Drawing from Paul’s description of believers as ambassadors in 2 Corinthians 5:20, Scroggins explained that Christians live as representatives of another kingdom. “An ambassador doesn’t set the policy,” he said. “He articulates it. He carries the authority of his home government while living in a foreign land.” All believers, he added, represent not just their church or family, but ultimately Jesus and His kingdom. “Your church is a little embassy,” he said. “Your family is a little embassy. Every Florida Baptist is a little embassy.”

Scroggins outlined four ways believers must live out their ambassador calling:

Call people to be reconciled to God

“We are not ambassadors for conservatism or political ideology,” Scroggins said. “Our job is not to implore people to vote for someone. It’s to implore people to be reconciled to God.”

He made clear that both liberals and conservatives alike are lost without Christ. “A Democrat without Jesus and a Republican without Jesus will both spend eternity apart from God,” he said. “Their greatest need isn’t political reform; it’s peace with God.”

Expounding on verse 21, he explained the concept of double imputation: “Our sin was charged to Christ’s account, and His righteousness was credited to ours,” Scroggins said. “That’s what makes reconciliation possible.”

Call people to love people like Jesus

Turning to verses 14–16, Scroggins emphasized that “the love of Christ” compels believers to evangelize. “You can’t be a good ambassador if you hate your mission field,” he said. “We’re not sent with a message of resentment; we’re sent with a message of reconciliation.”

He acknowledged how difficult it can be to love people in a polarized world but reminded listeners that it’s not their personal love that sustains them. It’s Christ’s love implanted within them. “We are not about pushing people down or pushing them out,” he said. “We are here to pull people in and lift people up and point them to Jesus.”

Call people to live as new creations

Quoting 2 Corinthians 5:17, Scroggins declared, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; the new has come.”

He described the transformation that follows salvation is not perfection, but genuine change. “I’m not the man I want to be, but I’m not the man I used to be,” he said. Sharing a story from Family Church Jensen Beach, he recounted how a teenage girl named Ruby came to faith through student camp, led her father Ryan to church, and eventually saw him surrender his life to Christ after realizing that “Jesus is the answer to all the brokenness in the world and in me.”

Call people to implore others to choose Christ

Scroggins closed with urgency. “We are ambassadors who beg people to be reconciled to God,” he said. “Heaven and hell are at stake.” He shared how legendary Jacksonville pastor Homer Lindsay embodied this truth, pleading with people to be saved because he truly believed eternity hung in the balance.

“Brothers and sisters,” Scroggins concluded, “we are ambassadors for Christ. Let’s not forget what business we’re in. Let’s implore people young and old, conservative and liberal, near and far, to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.”

ORLANDO–Four Florida Baptist leaders were elected to serve as 2025-26 officers of the Florida Baptist State Convention during its annual meeting Nov. 10-11 at First Orlando.

President

Brian Stowe, who has served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church Plant City since 2013, was elected to serve as 2025-26 Florida Baptist State Convention president.

He was nominated by Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, who noted that Stowe’s educational credentials include an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Traylor said that Stowe’s undergraduate degree is “all about building and designing, and that makes this dude smart.”

Stowe “has been building a great church for 12 years in Plant City,” a church that gives 6% through the Cooperative Program, Traylor said. “He’s building a great family,” Traylor added, with a wife and four children.

“He will help build the Florida Baptist Convention. He knows our work; he’s done our work, and he will help us build and design our work as we walk forward in the days ahead,” Traylor shared.

Stowe served on the Florida Baptist Convention State Board of Missions for several years: 2016-17, 2017-20, 2021-23. He was president of the board and chaired the Administrative Committee 2019-21.

First vice president

Scott Wilson, lead pastor of First Baptist Church Melbourne, was elected to serve as 2025-26 Florida Baptist State Convention first vice president.

He was nominated by John Marsh, pastor, Bella Vista Baptist Church in Edgewater, who said,

“What really speaks to me about Scott is where he serves.” Wilson was baptized at First Melbourne at 7 years old, and he went to Sunday school and youth group in that church. After his formal education, he was asked to serve on staff at First Melbourne. Two years later, he was called as pastor of the church, where he has served for 14 years, Marsh shared.

“That church knew him from the time he was little until now, and they trusted him and loved him enough to call him to lead them. He’s a man of high character and high giftedness and high ability and piercing intelligence. He has been known by his church and he has been loved, and he will be known and loved by you,” Marsh said.

Wilson served on the State Board of Missions 2019-22 and then served a second term 2022-25, serving as chair of the Denominational Committee 2023-25. He also served on the search team that recommended Stephen Rummage to serve as Florida Baptists’ executive director-treasurer.

Second vice president

Milvian Lema wias elected to serve Florida Baptists as 2025-26 Florida Baptist State Convention second vice president.

She was nominated by David Leiva, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Estrella de Belen in Broward, who said that Lema has “served with her husband, David, in several local churches in Miami Baptist Association and also helped her husband when he worked for the Florida Baptist Convention for 12 years. Currently, she volunteers at the Broward Baptist Association.”

Lema, a member of First Baptist Church of Pompano Beach, served on the State Board of Missions 2022-25 and has been reelected to serve a second term 2025-28. She has served on the Loans Committee. She and her husband have four adult children.

Recording secretary

Janey Frost, who serves at The Point Church (Jackson Campus) in Pensacola was elected to serve a fourth term as Florida Baptist State Convention recording secretary.

She was nominated by her pastor Mitch Johnson, who said, “Janey loves Jesus. She loves her family, and she loves her local church, and she loves this convention.”

Three groups met in areas of ministry designated for lead pastors, next generation, and missions.  Each venue encouraged attendees to grow their ministry in hopes of increasing evangelism outreach and increase baptisms.

In addition, the annual Ministers’ Wives Luncheon also took place with a packed room of attendees.

Below are scenes from these gatherings.

ORLANDO–At the 2025 Florida Baptist annual meeting, Stephen Rummage, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, delivered a call for attendees to proclaim Jesus personally, consistently and together.

In a sermon titled Gospel Demands, Rummage focused on Romans 10:13-17 and said that the Scripture identifies a “chain of gospel demands.”

In these verses, he stated that the Apostle Paul “reverse engineers the gospel.”

Rummage said the Apostle Paul “starts with the picture on the box—people getting saved—and then he works backward to show what it takes for that to happen.”

Florida Baptist churches celebrated more than 30,701 baptisms in 2024, the highest in a decade, he said. Still there are millions of Floridians who do not know Jesus as Savior and Lord.

“The mission is far from finished,” he declared.

The first gospel demand, he said, is “crying out to Jesus (v. 13).” This demand reflects a “specific cry to a specific person. It means crying out to the only One who can make a difference: His name is Jesus,” Rummage said.

The promise accompanying this call is, “Those who cry out to the Lord Jesus will be saved, now and eternally.”

Rummage shared the story of a sailor named Steve Callahan, who lost his sailboat in 1982 and was forced to survive in a raft for 76 days. “That raft was his only hope,” said Rummage. “In the same way, Jesus Christ is the one lifeline God has provided every sinner.”

The second gospel demand, Rummage pointed out, is “trusting Jesus (v. 14).” He explained, “Saving faith is not just believing about something. Saving faith is trusting Someone.”

He encouraged pastors in attendance to commit to “give people an opportunity to trust Jesus for salvation each time I stood to speak in front of them.”

The third gospel demand, Rummage said, is “hearing Jesus (v. 14, 17).” Rummage explained, “In gospel proclamation, people don’t just hear information about Jesus. They hear Jesus Himself speak. Jesus Himself joins the conversation.”

Rummage pointed to Radiant City Church in Boca Raton, a three-year-old church plant that recently baptized 13 people, including eight football players from Florida Atlantic University.

Pastor Cliff McCray, a former college football player and chaplain for the FAU football team “has opened up relationship bridges for players to hear the gospel,” Rummage said.

The fourth gospel demand, Rummage stated, is “preaching Jesus (v. 14).” To preach means “to proclaim a message with authority,” he said.

“Preachers must proclaim the gospel just as God gave it in His Word,” Rummage stated.

Reflecting on Romans 10:15, Rummage admitted his feet are not beautiful in human eyes, but the “feet of gospel messengers are beautiful, not because of how they look, but because of the message they carry.”

Jesus’ feet are “another set of beautiful feet at the heart of the gospel,” he said. Jesus’ feet were beautiful but marred with the stakes that were driven through His feet. “Those ugly wounds became a beautiful sign of love.”

Rummage challenged attendees to proclaim Jesus personally, consistently and together, pointing out that the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, scheduled to be held in June 2026 in Orlando, offers a “significant opportunity to preach Jesus.” Prior to the annual meeting, June 1-7, Crossover Orlando, which he described as “a movement of evangelism,” is being planned and organized.

Florida Baptists are praying for 1,000 churches to participate in Crossover Orlando, 10,000 gospel conversations to be held and 1,000 people to make professions of faith.

The fifth gospel demand, Rummage said, is “sending preachers (v. 15).”

He explained, “The gospel chain begins with the Lord Jesus who sends. And Jesus sends through His body, the Church. That’s why churches must be sending churches. Sending is not optional. It’s essential.”

Rummage concluded, “We can thank God for what He has done,” noting that Southern Baptists’ greatest year of baptisms was 1972, when 445,725 people were baptized.

“Our greatest year for evangelistic missions doesn’t have to be a record in some dusty history book. There’s still more ground to cover, more people to reach, more steps to take if we are going to break through … lostness with the gospel.”

He asked, “Will Baptists ever get back to the harvest?” and he answered, “I believe we can. And, I believe that God has called Florida Baptist churches to lead the way.”

Calling attendees to a renewed commitment to evangelism, Mike Orr, Florida Baptist State Convention president in his second term, said, “It is unfathomable that we would not, as Christians, tell others about Jesus.”

Orr focused on Jude 22-23 and stated, “We must evangelize with urgency.” Responding to the urgency requires compassion, courage and clarity.

In a biblical message titled Gospel Demands, Stephen Rummage, Florida Baptists’ executive director-treasurer, focused on Romans 10:13-17 and stated that the Apostle Paul “reverse engineers the gospel.”

Rummage said the Apostle Paul, “starts with the picture on the box—people getting saved—and then he works backward to show what it takes for that to happen.”

The five “gospel demands,” he said are: “crying out to Jesus, trusting Jesus, hearing Jesus, preaching Jesus and sending preachers.”

The. meeting drew 1,450 in attendance, including 1,070 messengers, representing 475 churches, along with 380 guests.

Budget adoption

Messengers approved a 2026 Cooperative Program goal of $29 million to be distributed 51% to Southern Baptist Convention causes and 49% to Florida Baptist Convention causes. The 51/49 split is the same distribution Florida Baptists have used since 2016. The 2026 budget goal is $500,000 less than the 2025 budget goal.

Officers elected

Four Florida Baptist leaders were elected to serve as 2025-26 officers of the Florida Baptist State Convention. Brian Stowe, who has served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church Plant City since 2013, was elected to serve as president. Scott Wilson, lead pastor of First Baptist Church Melbourne, was elected to serve as first vice president. Milvian Lema, a member of First Baptist Church of Pompano Beach, was elected to serve Florida Baptists as second vice president. Janey Frost, who serves at The Point Church (Jackson campus) in Pensacola, was elected to a fourth term as recording secretary.

Mission imperatives

Messengers to the 2025 annual meeting of the Florida Baptist State Convention had multiple opportunities to learn about Florida Baptists’ four mission imperatives: evangelize and baptize, call out and disciple, plant and revitalize churches and give more generously. In presenting the mission imperatives to annual meeting attendees, Rummage said, “Until the world knows that our God reigns and Jesus saves, let’s make it our ambition to start right here and let God use us for His glory!”

Fellowship gatherings

Attendees at the 2025 Florida Baptist annual meeting enjoyed a number of fellowship gatherings. Hispanic, Asian, Haitian and Black multicultural gatherings celebrated how God is moving in their cultural contexts. Hundreds of Florida Baptists gathered for a Cooperative Program 100^th anniversary celebration and were encouraged to commit to leading their churches to give $100 more per month through the Cooperative Program for the remainder of 2025 through 2026. NextGen and missions gatherings provided an opportunity to develop mission connections and exchange ministry approaches.

Other business

Messengers approved a resolution of appreciation for Stephens Baumgardner, who retired Aug. 16, 2025, after serving the Florida Baptist Convention in multiple roles since 1983, most recently as director of support services since 2015.

Messengers approved a recommendation from the State Board of Missions to amend Florida Baptist State Convention Bylaw 2 on cooperation. The revision reaffirms the Baptist Faith and Message as the shared theological foundation for cooperation among Florida Baptist churches and goes further by emphasizing that cooperation is more than agreeing on doctrine but also requires demonstration in practice.

In miscellaneous business, Doug Rothenbush, a messenger from First Baptist Church of Merritt Island, presented a motion that the State Board of Missions create a task force or study group to consider the feasibility of five initiatives related to disability ministries. The motion was referred to the State Board of Missions, which will bring its report back to the 2026 Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting set for Nov. 9-10 at First Orlando.

Haitian, Hispanic, Black/Multicultural, and Asian-American Baptists each gathered to share a meal, connect in fellowship, and testify to how God is moving in their churches and communities.

Below are scenes from these gatherings.

ORLANDO— Robby Gallaty, pastor of Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, delivered a sobering message at the 2025 Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting in Orlando titled Audience of One. Gallaty called ministers, leaders and their spouses to lay down their pursuit of human applause and return to seeking the approval of God alone.

He began with a piercing question: “As a pastor, minister. or minister’s wife, are you seeking the approval of God or the applause of man?” Using the story of a young pianist who refused to take a bow until his teacher stood in approval, Gallaty illustrated that ministry must be lived for an audience of one.

Reading from Hebrews 11:5–6, he noted that Enoch “was approved as one who pleased God,” not his congregation, colleagues or community. “It doesn’t say he pleased his spouse, his boss, or his deacons,” Gallaty said. “He pleased God.”

From that foundation, Gallaty outlined three major truths about living to please God.

First, he said “You can’t please God and fear man at the same time.”

Drawing from Proverbs 29:25, Gallaty warned that the fear of man is a trap that silences pastors and tempts them to compromise. “Many of us know the voice of Instagram, Facebook, CNN, and NBC, but we don’t know the voice of God,” he said.

Recounting the story of evangelist Manley Beasley, Gallaty reminded pastors of the importance of getting alone with God. “He would take his Bible and a jug of water and say, ‘I’m going to the woods until I get a word from God,’” Gallaty shared. “Pastor, when was the last time you got a word from God?”

Next, Gallaty told Florida Baptists, “You can’t please God and promote self at the same time.”

Quoting Matthew 6:1, Gallaty warned against self-promotion in ministry. “I’m a recovering self-promoter,” he admitted. “There’s a fine line between glorifying God and glorifying self.” He reflected on his own climb up the denominational ladder and how God humbled him before pride took root. “The higher you climb that ladder, there’s no graceful way down,” he said.

Gallaty cautioned against allowing charisma to outshine character and giftedness to outpace godliness. “Don’t let fanfare overshadow faithfulness,” he said, lamenting, “There’s a lot of boasting of self online today and little brokenness over sin.” He challenged pastors to stop doing ministry for Jesus and start doing ministry with Jesus, warning, “The Bible has become a tool to use, not a treasure to behold.”

For his third and last point, Gallaty said, “You please God by faith.”

Using Exodus 17:10–13, Gallaty explained that the Hebrew word emunah for faith also means perseverance or steadiness. “Don’t think of faith as something we do one time. We are continually putting faith in Jesus” he said.

Closing his message, Gallaty shared how God used a season of silence and solitude to awaken him personally and spark revival at Long Hollow. “As I sat in silence before God, I asked Him to fix my church, my staff, my deacons, but God showed me the problem was me,” he said.

In just 15 weeks, more than 1,000 people were baptized in a move of God’s Spirit that began with repentance and stillness. “Every great movement of God begins by not moving,” Gallaty said.

He ended with an altar call of humility: “Come forward and repent … for seeking the approval of men, for speaking critically of others, for living for applause. Let’s return to living for an audience of one.”