Gilroy
’s First Baptist Church added a new associate pastor to the
staff last month, the Rev. George Yates. He will have particular
responsibility for administration and education within the growing
congregation.
Gilroy’s First Baptist Church added a new associate pastor to the staff last month, the Rev. George Yates. He will have particular responsibility for administration and education within the growing congregation.
Yates was raised in Louisville, Ky. He grew up and was active in the Baptist Church, but drifted away in his teenage years. As an adult, however, he felt God’s urging and became active in church work again, doing part-time youth ministry for several years.
Meanwhile, he had a successful business career in sales and operation management for Furrow, a large building materials company. When he lost his job during company downsizing, Yates looked at it as an opportunity to follow God’s calling in ministry on a full-time basis.
Turning down two lucrative offers to return to private industry, Yates realized “God had something else in store for me.”
The result was a position in charge of education and adult ministries at First Baptist Church of Kettering, Ohio. During his five years there the congregation averaged 10 percent annual growth.
Then Pastor Yates was called to Eastwood Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., where he continued his focus on education and church growth. Here he was able to disprove the “80/20 rule” of organization (that 20 percent of the members do 80 percent of the work) by involving more than 55 percent of the adult members in some kind of ministry as the congregation increased in size.
Yates warns against a “cookie cutter” approach to problem-solving. He decries following “models” and emphasizes focusing on “principles” and prayer. “We can never pray enough: corporate and individual.”
At Gilroy First Baptist Church Pastor Yates will focus on managing the church’s staff and facilities, making sure procedures are efficient and resources are available when and where needed.
He also will oversee a large education program which includes Sunday School classes for all ages, Bible studies, discipleship programs and a variety of courses and ministries which help members in their personal spiritual growth.
“Small groups are especially important because we have an innate desire for relationship which can’t be met solely by worship services,” he said. “The secret to happiness lies in our personal relationships. The most important personal relationship we can have is a relationship with God, for it brings not only happiness, but also an inner joy found in no other relationship.”
In addition, Pastor Yates serves as director of Leadership Development for the Central Coast Baptist Association, a group headquartered in Gilroy and serving the needs of 94 congregations in our area. His duties include consulting with member congregations on topics such as Sunday School leadership, teacher training, men’s/women’s ministries, stewardship and organizing conferences and training events to meet congregational needs.
Yates is the author of a highly regarded book published in 2001, “Teaching That Bears Fruit” (Guardian Books). In it he offers ideas about effective teaching strategies he has developed during his 16 years in Christian education. He writes, “Information, facts, and knowledge do not create learning. They do create an unpleasant and unsightly mound that is not applicable in the lives of our learners.” Instead, he advocates “teaching as Jesus taught … methods He used to create lasting learning in His listeners … powerful enough to turn the world upside down.”
Gilroy First Baptist Church is located at 8455 Wren Ave. Details: 847-6000.
Chuck Flagg teaches English at Mt. Madonna High School in Gilroy. He lives in Morgan Hill with his wife and two sons. For correspondence, write him at The Times, 30 E. Third St., Morgan Hill, 95037.
