Pray for Great Bridge Free Will Baptist Church in Chesapeake, Virginia

Great Bridge Free Will Baptist Church, began as a rural church plant in the 1970s, miles north of Chesapeake, Virginia. The church eventually relocated to the city of Chesapeake as the area was growing rapidly. Today the area continues to grow, with almost 500,000 people within a 20 minute drive of Great Bridge FWB Church. Through the years, the church has faced difficult challenges, declining to about 70 people carrying a mountain of debt. But by God’s grace, working through his faithful servants and the leadership of their current pastor, the church is turning around for God’s glory!

Jay Baines, for the last six years, has served as the pastor at Great Bridge FWB after serving churches in Indiana, North Carolina, Delaware, and Virginia. Jay began pastoring in 1987, the same year that he graduated from Southeastern FWB College as well as married his wife, Annette, with a family now that extends to three children and seven grandchildren. He later gained two Masters degrees from Liberty University. His children also work in ministry in Tennessee, Nevada, and Florida. 

Jay has led Great Bridge in the last six years to a consistent and healthy membership of 200 and growing. A passion that he and his wife share–and that God has blessed–involves teaching others family life skills that produce godly marriages and healthy parenting. Through this, the church’s reputation in the community has led many to Christ. The church is asking that you pray for them as they continue to produce fruit in strengthening families while making disciples who make disciples.

Join us as we pray for these specific prayer needs:

• • Pray that God will bring many to faith in Him through an outreach event on March 23rd. This will reach between 500-700 people in the area.

• • Pray that their upcoming Easter celebration will also bring many to faith in Christ. 

• • Pray for the health and protection of Jay, his wife, and his family as they serve those at Great Bridge and in the community.

• • Pray that God will work through their strategies to reduce their debt of 3 million dollars.

• • Pray for the ministry of Great Bridge Christian Academy, a school the church has operated for the last 23 years.

• • Pray for wisdom in reaching their changing community in the most effective, God-honoring ways.

• • Pray for their rapidly growing Children’s ministry!

• • Pray for the continued growth and health of Great Bridge as they are growing at a faster pace and will continue to focus on disciple making.