December 7, 2024
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — When Steve McCombs and his wife Tonia began their ministry at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cartersville, 30 years ago, retirement was not on their minds. Steve and Tonia met at the BSU while students at Delta State University. Tonia, a retired P.E. teacher from the Cartersville School system, and their two children had moved from Minden, Louisiana, where Steve had served as youth pastor at FBC Minden. Steve’s first position at Tabernacle was minister to students and college.
Steve had high praise for his wife, “Tonia has been an incredible partner in ministry. She has been my greatest support and greatest helper as God designed it!”
In recent years, McCombs has served as the minister of missions and outreach. His ministry, spanning a total of 41 years, has literally touched Cartersville and the world for Christ. Fittingly, his final weekend included the church’s annual “Go Weekend.” It is a focus on international missions and serves as a kickoff for fall missions and outreach emphasis.
The weekend included a mission fair and 5K run on Saturday morning. That was followed by a banquet on Saturday evening featuring missionaries sharing inspiring “God Moments.” Missionaries also shared during the Sunday School hour. The Saturday evening banquet concluded with a surprise as former members of McCombs’ youth ministry, who are now serving in ministry, returned and paid tribute to their mentor.
McCombs’ voice began to break and there was a tear in his eye when he began to share some of the highlights of his ministry. He said, “I think one of the biggest things is seeing some of the students that I worked with who went to the mission field. Seeing them serve in this church, some of them are still here. Some are pastors, it’s good to see that fruit.”
Regarding the changes he has seen, he said, “We have seen God turn this into a Great Commission church. Following the Acts 1:8 strategy… missions are a priority here. Especially since 2007 when two men from the church on a mission trip were killed in an accident. The church had to decide whether to continue to embrace the Great Commission or go in another direction. They were asking, what are we going to do?”
Choosing to be a Great Commission church, they established a scholarship fund in memory of those two men, Rick Mason and Perry Goad, which has funded and literally helped send thousands of people on short-term mission trips.”
Shortly after their deaths, Steve transitioned to the position of minister of missions and outreach. In 2015, Kyra Karr, a missionary who was raised in Tabernacle, was home on furlough and killed in an automobile accident. The church established a foundation, funded in part by the annual 5K run. This foundation funds mission projects in Italy where Karr and her husband were serving.
McCombs said missions were one of the best discipleship tools he has used with student and college ministries. “Discipleship,” he said, “is a way to prepare students to serve on mission trips.” Over the years he has been involved with over 100 mission trips.
Describing how ministry has changed over the past 30 years he said, “The culture has changed, but sharing the gospel has not changed. It still works!”
Speaking of what he will miss most, he responded, with some hesitation and trembling in his voice, “The people.” He explained that God had put spiritual markers in his life, that marked growth through his life and ministry. Some of those markers were people. They were the growing times in life and ministry, sometimes because of challenges people represented and others because of their encouragement.
His hobbies include bass fishing. He is involved in ministry with the Bassmaster Classic each year. They are able to share the gospel about 2,000 times at that annual event which has over 150,000 in attendance. They have a tract and lure which they give away to share the gospel. As a part of his retirement celebration, Tabernacle held a picnic in honor of the McCombs the previous weekend on Oct. 12. At that event, representatives from Bassmaster’s presented Steve with a lifetime membership to the organization in recognition of his work with them through the years.
His service for 30 years, under three pastors at Tabernacle, concluded with Steve filling the pulpit on his final Sunday of Oct. 20. He preached on the Great Commission and shared a mission challenge to the congregation as his parting words.
McCombs said their retirement plans are, “To do little for the first two months and then figure it out from there.” He continued, “I’m sure I will be involved in missions in some way.” The McCombs plan to remain in the Cartersville area. Both of their children are married, and they have six grandkids which will undoubtedly fill some of their time. He will also be out there fishing for bass and when not doing that you can be certain he will always be “fishing for men!”
