Director of Missions
Dr. Don Hatcher
Among Southern Baptists, the local association is rooted in the biblical concept of interrelationships practiced through cooperation and partnership. The New Testament gives examples of what we would call “associational cooperation.” Just one example is Acts 11:27-30 where the church at Antioch sent famine relief to their Judean fellow-Christians. Barbour Baptist Association is a self-governing fellowship of Southern Baptist churches sharing a common faith, and which engages in mutual support, fellowship, missions, and ministry activities.
Simply put, my role as Director of Missions is three-fold. I function as a mission strategist, a minister to churches, church leaders, and pastors, and an administrative leader. After serving as a full-time senior pastor for 36 years and a part-time pastor for 2 years, God confirmed His calling for this season of my life by fulfilling my desire to, be a Director of Missions. I find great joy in serving the churches in Barbour County.
An even greater joy I have in life is my family. Trish, my one and only wife since 1969, is my cheerleader and is retired from Troy City Schools. We have three children who are actively involved in the Lord’s work. Our oldest son, Donnie, is a church planter in the Baltimore, MD area. Our son-in-law, Jeremy Davis, serves as Associate Pastor/Minister to Students at a church in Troy. God has blessed us with seven grandchildren. Of course, unlike their parents and grandparents, they are perfect!
If you are seeking a church home in Barbour County, I urge you to visit among the churches until you find one in which you sense that God wants you to serve. The churches come in all shapes and sizes. Some have full-time pastors; some have bi-vocational pastors. Some have a paid staff; some depend on volunteers to lead ministries. Some are traditional in their structure; some are more contemporary. One thing you will find in common among them all is their desire to reach people for Jesus and disciple them to be followers of Christ. – REJOICE
