October 2, 2026
TYRONE, Ga. — Disciple-maker Mark Ward has officially retired from full-time ministry as of December 31, 2025, after a 40-year ministry that included 23 years on staff as Minister of Education and Outreach at Flat Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville.
Ward’s ministry was that of a pastors' helper in the area of discipleship, evangelism, and outreach education by way of small groups. Making disciples was his ministry focus.
The biggest need in the lives of people today is to know and live out God’s word, come to a saving relationship with Jesus, and to learn and apply his word to their lives, Ward said. “That makes such a difference in the life of the church, in the life of a community, and in families.”
During his ministry, he tried to create plans to disciple families so that they would live transformed lives. “That’s what discipleship can do,” he said.
Former Georgia Baptist Convention president and current Flat Creek Senior Pastor Josh Saefkow talked about Ward's 23 years of faithful service, saying Ward's quiet consistency, steady leadership, and a heart that always put the Kingdom above himself has left a deep and lasting imprint on Flat Creek. “Mark helped build a church culture rooted in faithfulness, humility, and love for people. His most outstanding quality is his servant’s heart — the kind Jesus described when He said, 'whoever would be great among you must be your servant,'" Saefkow said. "Mark does not seek recognition. He sought to meet needs, support others, and strengthen the body of Christ behind the scenes. From his example, I have learned that authentic leadership is not about position, but about faithful obedience, day after day, trusting God to use small acts of service to accomplish eternal purposes.”
Ward has now transitioned to a part-time remote role at Flat Creek. He will be working in the member care ministry, where he will facilitate processes to make sure homebound, nursing home, and hospital members are cared for.
“When I announced my retirement, that came to their minds," Ward said. "I wasn’t looking for it. I have a heart for it, and it was on their hearts, so I said, 'Well, this must be God.'”
Ward commented that every church needs a ministry like this. “You don’t want someone to say I was out there and nobody came to check on me.” He added, “Our church has a history of caring for people very well.”
Ward lives in Tyrone with his wife of 42 years, Vickie. He grew up in Manchester, Georgia
He started working at radio station WFDR (now JOY FM) in Manchester when he was 15 years old. He worked there until he graduated from Columbus College in 1983 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
After college, he worked four and a half years as editor, full time reporter, and advertising representative at The Meriwether Vindicator. He was called to ministry during this time and started in music and student ministry bi-vocationally at West End Baptist Church in Manchester, where he served for four and a half years.
“Music has always been a big part of my life. I don’t have a music degree, but God allowed me the ability to sing and have some education in music to lead music,” said Ward.
In 1987, he moved to New Orleans to attend New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He graduated in 1989 with a Master's Degree in Religious Education.
He served as Montpellier Baptist Church student and music pastor in Montpellier, Louisiana, for one year during seminary.
After leaving New Orleans, he served at First Baptist Church in Hampton, Georgia, as minister of education and students, and at First Baptist Church of Perry, Georgia, as a minister of education. In December 2002, he left Perry to serve at Flat Creek.
He served for years in the Georgia Baptist Association of Christian Educators, which later became Georgia Baptist Disciple Makers Network. He served as president during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It was dissolved after that year because Georgia Baptists were creating positions to help with those needs.
While at FBC Hampton, he served five years in the Flint River Baptist Association as the Associational Sunday School Director. He also served as Associational Sunday School Director in the Fairburn Baptist Association.
In his early years of ministry, he learned that discipling people to the point where they would come and get connected to the church was critical. “They would grow, and you would begin to see them serve and then go out on mission trips and serve in other areas," Ward explained. "It was exciting to see people go on that pathway. Helping churches set up pathways for that was a joy.”
He added, “One thing that really was a blessing was to see students and others go on to be pastors and pastors’ wives serving in churches in Georgia and other states.”
Every year and every church shaped his discipleship ministry. “In those beginning years, God was shaping me to learn my own discipleship path. And then helping other people do that," Ward said. "In later years, it shaped me to understand how important it was to enlist, train, and multiply leaders.”
He credits his spiritual growth to the people he has served with over the years. “It’s hard to do it by yourself," he said. "I learned so much from every pastor, staff member, and church member. I am thankful to God for all of them.”
He was especially honored to serve alongside two Georgia Baptist Convention presidents during their terms of service. John Yarbrough at First Baptist Perry and Josh Saefkow at Flat Creek.
Ward is grateful that God used him for 40 years. “I look at my life and ask, 'How could he use me?' and he did. He’s still using me. Nothing I have done is without God’s power doing it.”
He hopes people remember the love and the personal touch of his ministry. “I’ve always tried to be available to people and not distant," he said.
His advice to the next generation of leaders is to stay focused on God’s word as the center of what they do. Helping people come to know Christ personally is the priority, followed by getting into God’s word so they can grow in that way. He hopes future leaders will stay focused on those things and loving people.
When asked what retirement looks like, it will include camping. photography and spending time with his family. His wife, Vickie, retired after 42 years of public school teaching. He has a daughter Victoria, who is a history teacher.
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