From the president: Georgia is 'Wide Open' for the gospel

Steve Browning

If we are going to reach every person in our state with the gospel, it is going to take a sustained effort, a gritty determination, and a spiritual perseverance unlike ever before.”

What lies just outside the front door of your church?

For many, the door opens to a county road punctuated with old mailboxes leading up long driveways to homes in rural Georgia. For others, it opens to a city block that has changed dramatically in the last several decades. In our church’s case, the front door of our 120-year-old church used to open to a small Southern town. Now, it swings open to a revitalized downtown that is always bursting with life.

Across our state, there are more than 3,000 Georgia Baptist church doors that open to communities of every shape, size, and demographic. Here’s the truth… we have a wide open door to reach Georgia for Jesus Christ. Like Paul, when he wrote about his ministry among the Ephesians, we could say:

“for a wide door for effective work has opened to me…” — 1 Corinthians 16:9a

In 2025, we made “Everyone Everywhere” our rallying cry. The dream was to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to the 7 million people across our state who desperately need Him. The Evangelism Initiative roared to life. A multitude of opportunities began to enlist, engage, and equip people in evangelism. We began taking new ground for the gospel, seeing the WIDE OPEN door that God has given us to reach our state.

But something else occurred… a spiritual battle began.

Pastors felt pressure. Churches faced problems. Distractions mounted. As I have talked with ministry leaders all across the state, I’ve heard story after story of increased hardships as we have increased our efforts to share Jesus. We have grown to understand not only our WIDE OPEN door, but also the enemy’s efforts to slam it shut. As Paul said:

“for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” — 1 Corinthians 16:9

The devil is pleased to leave a dormant church alone to die… but a church awakened and active will always face intense spiritual adversity. Wide doors for the gospel come with many adversaries. In Georgia, we have never had a greater gospel opportunity, which means we should expect even greater adversity.

What does this mean?

If we are going to reach every person in our state with the gospel, it is going to take a sustained effort, a gritty determination, and a spiritual perseverance unlike ever before.

Pastor, we cannot waver when the opposition comes. We cannot waffle when the culture intimidates. We cannot walk away, chasing the multitude of distractions well meaning people suggest. We must remain relentlessly focused on walking through the WIDE OPEN door for ministry God has opened for us here in Georgia. It is the only way we can prevail in seeing millions believe.

This year, as we gather for our Annual Meeting in Warner Robins on November 8–10, our theme is WIDE OPEN. Let’s commit to making the most of the wide open door God has given us for the gospel until it reaches the heart, mind, and soul of Georgia. Come to be encouraged and energized as we relentlessly pursue the opportunity before us.

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Steve Browning is president of the Georgia Baptist Convention and lead pastor of First City Church in Alpharetta.