Dave Travis Now

What A Day at Mars Hill

No, not that Mars Hill. I spent the day Sunday at two special occasions worth mentioning. I’ll share the first one here tonight – Mars Hill Baptist Church near Watkinsville, Georgia.

It was their 210^th church anniversary and I had never been there before and neither had my mother, but she wanted me to go.

An ancestor named PH Mell was being honored that day both in the church service and in an afternoon plaque dedication near his grave. My mom and dad are traveling so I was designated to go and bring a report.

Mell was an educator, pastor, denominational president, College president and Chancellor of the University of Georgia. A quick google will pull up many documents about his life.

As a young man I read his biography written by his son, that book is now online. Mell has enjoyed a revival of his reputation partly due to his hero status among the Calvinist wing of the Southern Baptist convention.

Mars Hill Baptist is a beautiful facility and very friendly folks. I felt most welcomed there and Pastor Charles Jenkins led a worshipful and inspiring service. The preacher for the morning was Dr. David Smith, president of Brewton-Parker College, a Baptist College in south Georgia.

Pastor Jenkins mentioned that Mell also had a small hand in helping start Georgia Tech so I will have to investigate further.

I can’t recall how exactly we were related to the Mell’s but there were several rows of direct descendants there and I was pleased to meet and share some stories with them. They all live in south Georgia.

I was also blessed by the music led by Mike Sarratt. It was one of the best blends of contemporary praise and classical hymns I have heard in a long time. In speaking to Mike after the service I discovered that he is the son of the late Ray Sarratt.

I knew Ray as a friend of my grandfather and during my college days occasionally attended a prayer meeting at the Baptist Tabernacle in downtown Atlanta. Ray was a former star Ga Tech football player but never mentioned those exploits instead encouraging me in my studies and ministry. Ray died last year and I was grateful to be able to express my condolences to his son. And he remembered my family mentioning those that had taught him in Sunday School over the years.

I also got to speak to the family of my old friend, the late Claud Healan. Claud was an Associational Missionary in a neighboring association back when I served the similar role at Stone Mountain Baptist Association. He was a great encourager to me, inviting me to speak at several events, helping to send massive volunteers to the disaster relief team and being an all around fun guy to hang out with. He died suddenly a few years after I started working with Leadership Network and I didn’t learn of his death until weeks later. I was pleased to express to his son, daughter and wife my appreciation of Claud.

I knew Claud had been a pastor at Mars Hill in his younger days and had lived nearby. I remember when their old church building burned in the early 1990s and speaking to him afterward. Sometime I will tell you that story but his parting comment was “You watch, God will use this to his glory.”

After a good lunch and chatting with several good folks I made my way into Athens to the grave site of Dr. Mell. The Georgia Baptist Historical Society had an afternoon ceremony to dedicate a plaque next to his grave marker. I didn’t get to stay for the actual ceremony but did speak with a member of the Historical Commission briefly, Dr. Stewart Simms, pastor of the Beech Haven Church in Athens. He said the honor for Dr. Mell was long overdue. Dr. Simms seemed like a great guy and I wished I had more time to speak with him, but I did thank him for his part in the memorial.

We sent our Firstborn to college today

I took the day off today to move our daughter Stephanie into her dorm at Georgia Tech. She has now flown away.

She is very fortunate. All four of her grandparents went to college here in Georgia.

We have a special relationship with the Institute (the proper name - The Georgia Institute of Technology) I could start bragging about the school right now but instead will brag on the family.

Her maternal Grandfather went to Tech High School in Atlanta was bound for Ga Tech but the Army got him first at the close of WW II. He ended up at West Georgia playing football.

My dad graduated from Georgia Tech 50 years ago this year. It was a step out of poverty for his family, as he was the first in his family to receive a college degree. He later completed a masters degree there.

I started Georgia Tech 30 years ago this fall and like my dad, went into the Cooperative Education program that (then) had you work a quarter and go to school a quarter.
I graduated five years later.

My wife got her degree there. My brother did. His wife did. My sister and her husband went to a sister school. The core experience and education we received there has served us well. We are faithful in our giving to the Institute as a small thank you for the provision it has given us.

A lot has changed since we were all there but my daughter's dorm is right next to the one where I lived. (It was an old dorm when I was there and now it's 30 years older!)

Now we are sending "Ma Tech" one of our most important investments to hopefully encourage her to the next level.

 

Godspeed child.

My interview with Brother Dave

I have a cousin visiting me today, Brother Dave the Revivalist. He is in town doing a revival somewhere around here. I let him listen in to our Leadership Network Team call today. There were lots of questions from my staff about Brother Dave so I did this interview with him to help give context. Unfortunately my camera is broken right now so I don’t have a photo to post.

What was the name of the church where you pastor?

I presently pastor the Big Sandy Baptist Church of God Holiness in Christ Tabernacle #2.

Is it a multi-site and that is why it is called “number 2”?

No we split from the Big Sandy Baptist Church of God Holiness in Christ Tabernacle #1 a few years ago and we wouldn’t want anyone to confuse us with those heretics down the street.

And what was the reason for the split?

It was over the doctrine of hairology. There are some deacons wives in that heretical church with bobbed hair.

And where is this church?

It is sort of near Hahira.

How are you related to Dave Travis, Managing Director of Leadership Network?

Well, you see my cousin and his cousin, but also……well it’s complicated.

Is your church a growing church?

Actually BSBCOFHICT #2, we use that to shorten the name, is growing. We started with 8 members, grew to 9 the next year, and then 10 and we presently have 11 on the rolls. But we suspect that one of those is also a member at #1 so we aren’t really sure how to count him.

And also we went down to the peanut gin and weighed on the truck scales when we started and have grown from 1283 pounds to almost a ton. Of course that includes our new members.

Was there anything about that call today that you learned about Leadership Network?

Yes, I fear so cousin. I was shocked that none of the staff chose the King James Bible as their favorite book for the summer.

I think that was because of how I asked the question today.

Nosir. I think all books are evil.

What about other translations of the Bible?

What do you mean? If the King James was good enough for Peter and Paul, it’s good enough for me.

Thanks for being with us today cousin.