Jéan Ward to be nominated as GBC Vice President

Pastor Jean Ward of East Atlanta Church will be nominated for Georgia Baptist Convention Vice President at the upcoming annual meeting. Greg Love pastor of Crossview Baptist Church in Tifton, will make the nomination. JOE WESTBURY/Index

ATLANTA — Jéan Ward, who is the senior church planting pastor for East Atlanta Church, will be nominated for Georgia Baptist Convention Vice President by Greg Love, pastor of Crossview Baptist Church in Tifton.

In making the announcement Love explained, “Jéan Ward has been married to Latoya Ward for 21 years and they have been blessed with one daughter who is now a junior in college. Jean is also a proud Desert Storm veteran of the United States Army.

“He is a spokesman for the NAACP and SCLC.

“Jean has been in ministry for 20 years. He started his career with Southern Baptist Convention as a church planter. In his pastoral role at the East Atlanta Church, he is a firm believer in the Cooperative Program and believes every church should participate in it. He believes in working to have more unity in the convention. He is known to say that every church, regardless of size, age, or ethnicity, should know and feel that they have a voice in the convention.” 

According Pastor Ward the church gives 28 percent of its undesignated gifts to the Cooperative Program and baptized ten new believers last year.

Love added, “Jéan serves as the elected President of the African American Fellowship for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board; he also serves on the Georgia Baptist Executive Committee, and the Nomination Committee. He is a member of the Youth Advisory Council for the Southern Baptist Convention, and he is the Community Strategist for the National African American Fellowship.

 “Jéan is a Church Planting Coach and a Church Planter Assessor. He has led many movements to spread the Gospel not just throughout the city, but throughout the state as well. He has many events to spread the gospel ranging from evangelistic festivals to the inception of the I Am the Man and the I Am Woman retreats. Jéan has introduced over 15 new participating churches to the convention during his service to the Kingdom. 

“Jéan believes in racial reconciliation and believes that it can only come from intentional conversations. He says there are so many cultural misunderstandings that cause a divide in GOD’s church, and he believes that we can overcome them by being purposeful and loving. He believes one of the things GOD has called him to do is be an agent of change in his community. He says that every church should have an identity that serves the community without compromising the Gospel.”

Pastor Ward commented, “I believe that loving like Christ will not just win and unite Georgia, but it will win and unite the world. That is a MISSION POSSIBLE.”