November 8, 2026
FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Chief Master Sgt. Greg Israel is a multiple-career guy. He’s been a military man and a businessman, and now he is pastor of Zenith Road Baptist Church in Fort Valley.
“I always planned to take some other secular job and kick back, but He’s still got things for me to do, and it is fun. It really is,” Israel said of his life in Christ.
A native of Tallahassee, Fla., who now lives in Perry, Israel came to middle Georgia on the last leg of a 30-year U.S. Air Force career. During those years, he was also becoming increasingly involved in ministry.
In June 2025, Israel first preached to members of Zenith Road. By August, he had become their pastor.
“It’s been incredible what's going on in the last year, or my whole life for that matter,” Israel said.
Since arriving, Israel has overseen improvements to the church building with help from Tim Millwood, associational missionary and director of missions for the Rehoboth Baptist Association. Staff from Cross Point Baptist Church have helped upgrade Zenith Road’s audio and visual systems.
The church has also launched a website, developed a new logo, and adopted a new mission statement: “Loving God, serving people, helping our community find and follow Jesus together.”
Zenith Road averages between 12 and 15 people on Sundays. Its Wednesday night youth ministry is growing, with church member Wanda picking up 13 to 15 children each week.
Israel sees his journey to Zenith Road as something God had been preparing throughout his life.
Saved at 14, he grew up in the Free Will Baptist denomination. With no sense of a call to ministry at the time, his attention turned toward the military.
Israel enlisted in the Air Force on Feb. 9, 1984, at age 17 and completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He later trained as a radar operator at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., and was selected for the Airborne Warning and Control System, or AWACS, program.
He spent much of his career aboard military surveillance aircraft, serving at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, and eventually Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins.
He met his wife, Kelly, at Southern Oaks Free Will Baptist Church in Oklahoma City in 1984. They married there in 1987 and have three children.
Israel eventually reached the rank of chief master sergeant. During a flying career that spanned 28 years, he accumulated more than 6,500 flying hours as a combat-rated aircrew member.
At Robins, he served as a squadron superintendent responsible for 200 officers and enlisted personnel and as a career field manager for more than 100 enlisted aviators.
He retired from the Air Force in 2014 and later operated a commercial landscaping business.
Ministry, however, had remained part of his life throughout his military career.
At Southern Oaks in Oklahoma, Israel taught youth Sunday school and ran Friday volleyball leagues as an outreach ministry.
Before the family moved to Alaska, they became friends with another family headed there. That family was Southern Baptist and began attending Grandview Baptist Church.
“It was a God thing,” Israel said.
At Grandview, Israel served on the snow removal team, finance committee, and vision committee. He and Kelly also served as Awana co-commanders.
Israel recalls two experiences during his military years that had a lasting effect on his faith.
While serving in Alaska, he felt God prompting him to share the gospel with a fellow unit member.
“I didn’t,” Israel said. “A week later, an AWACS crashed after takeoff. He died on that flight. That really kind of got my attention.”
Later, Grandview’s pianist told Israel the man had been saved.
“That kind of shaped me in that moment,” Israel said.
Israel said the experience changed the way he responds to opportunities to share the gospel.
Another defining moment came during a deployment to Thailand, when Israel said he had been wrestling with doubts about the gospel and some of the things he believed.
During a trip to Bangkok, he and another serviceman visited several Buddhist temples. At one temple, Israel said there was no place to sit, leaving bowing as the only way to remain in the room.
“As soon as my knees hit the floor, the Holy Spirit told me I couldn't be there,” he said. “I walked out of there, and my hairs were standing on end, and I'm like, there’s a God. His Word is true. And I've never doubted again.”
Three years before his Air Force retirement, Israel and his family began attending Cross Point Baptist Church in Perry. It was there that he announced his call to preach.
He completed the Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s interim pastors course. Three mentors independently encouraged him to pursue formal education. Israel resisted for years but eventually enrolled at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Christian ministry while continuing to run his business.
He sold the business in January 2024 after sensing God’s call to full-time ministry. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree at New Orleans.
Cross Point Pastor Michael Stovall introduced Israel to No Place Left about three years ago. Israel compared the evangelism approach to Paul’s ministry in Asia.
“It’s similar to what Paul did in Asia when he said that there's no place left in Asia that hasn't heard the gospel,” Israel said.
He completed No Place Left evangelism training and gospel conversations training. Even as pastor of Zenith Road, Israel remains involved with Cross Point’s door-to-door ministry and conducts multiple gospel conversation trainings each year.
Israel said some Zenith Road members had wondered whether the church would ever grow. He believes they can now look at the course of his life and see a reason for waiting on the Lord.
Israel believes growth comes as believers commit themselves to fully obeying Christ. In the meantime, his focus is on preaching, loving the people of Zenith Road, and helping them grow in their relationship with Christ.
“I don't think He would have them hold on for almost six years to bring me in and then close the church down,” Israel said. “I really believe that the Lord is not done at Zenith Road.”
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