Pastor, horse lover Josh Saefkow is running for president of the Georgia Baptist Convention

From ROGER ALFORD, The Christian Index

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Josh Saefkow has learned a lot about building trust and cultivating relationships by spending time in the stables where his horse Lil Joe hangs out.

Saefkow, the Fayetteville pastor who will be nominated for president of the Georgia Baptist Convention later this month, said hurdles can be great classrooms.

“When it comes to horses, everything happens in steps,” he said. “Each step builds on the other. One step leads to the next. You can’t rush it. You have to build trust in the horse. It takes total commitment and loving patience to do well.”

Saefkow, who has served at Flat Creek Baptist Church since 2016, has noticed that healthy churches are built the same way, one step at a time, under the direction of dedicated, loving pastors.

Saefkow is one such pastor, said Bill Priester, pastor emeritus at Flat Creek Baptist.

“He thrives on loving people, encouraging people, praying for people and meeting people’s needs,”priest said. “He is one of the most gifted preachers I know. I am happy to call him my pastor.”

In addition to his pastoral duties, Saefkow is a past Vice President of the Georgia Baptist Convention who now serves as Chair of the Georgia Baptist Executive Committee. In this capacity, he is also an ex officio member of all other Congressional committees.

Buford First Baptist Church senior pastor Stephen Fountain said he intends to nominate Saefkow during the annual meeting to be held Nov. 13-15 at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta.

“In recent years I have become more and more convinced that the men most needed for positions of leadership during our convention are the men least ambitious to attain that leadership,” Fountain said when he presented his announced intention to make the nomination in September. “Josh Saefkow is that man.”

“He’s a devoted husband, a loving father, a passionate pastor and a dynamic preacher,” Fountain said. “His calm demeanor, humble spirit, quiet strength, and unifying presence are what Georgia Baptists need today. Where there is great temptation to be willing to serve the Lord with a desire to hold positions of leadership, Josh has a desire to serve the Lord with a willingness to shoulder the burden of leadership when necessary. Today it is needed in the life of Georgia Baptists.”

Saefkow, 38, said he was “humbled and honored” to accept the nomination.

“I want to bring Georgia Baptists together to help fan the flame of the gospel of Jesus to bring more Georgians to Christ,” Saefkow said at the time. “I truly believe that God can use me to unite us at this time. This is a unique time of tension. We’ve argued long enough. I want us to come together for the cause of Christ.”

Fountain said Saefkow’s gifts as a unifier were showcased at Executive Committee meetings.

Saefkow became a believer on the soccer field at the age of 12. His best friend and classmate, Cody Davenport, introduced him to Christ.

“I was the quarterback and he was a wide receiver,” Saefkow said. “I shared with him some things that were going on in our family. I’ve had a hard time. He just so graciously led me to Jesus. His father was pastor of our church and our soccer coach.”

Saefkow began praying for his parents, especially his father, who at the time he said was “a card-carrying atheist” who worked as a disc jockey in a bar. His parents were on the verge of divorce.

Saefkow asked his father to read the Gospel of John. He has. And his life changed. He accepted Christ and became a fervent believer.

One of Saefkow’s most prized possessions is a note in the margin of his Bible at the end of John’s Gospel: “Thank you for your prayers and for not giving up on me.”

“My father gave his life to the Lord, and my mother gave her life to the Lord,” Saefkow said. “You have been faithful to the Church since 2006. It was a complete 180 degree shift through repentance and faith. God redeemed everything.”

Priest said Saefkow is a devoted family man. He and his wife Kelsie, a registered nurse in Fayetteville, have two daughters, Chloe, 11, and Sophie, 9, both of whom are Christ followers.

Kelsie’s father, Randall Culpepper, a former pastor of Taylor Mills Baptist Church in Reynolds, is now a member of Flat Creek, as are several others in his family. That, Priest said, speaks well for a pastor when those who know him best want to be under his ministry.

Saefkow holds bachelor’s and two master’s degrees from Liberty University and a doctorate from Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Saefkow’s church gives 10 percent of all proceeds, not just unrestricted proceeds, through the cooperative program. Last year that was nearly $188,000.

His church has had 62 baptisms so far this year.

Saefkow, who was an associate pastor at Abilene Baptist Church in Augusta before moving to Fayetteville, told the Index earlier this year that a simple four-word prayer transformed his ministry: “Lord, make me useful.”

Since then, Mr. Saefkow has opened door after door. He became chairman of the executive committee earlier this year after serving as vice chairman for two years. He also served on the Administrative Committee and Public Affairs Committee of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.

“Because I was willing to take that step of obedience, it eventually led to all of these places,” Saefkow said. “I’m just trying to be faithful.”

David Wheeler, a professor of evangelism who taught Saefkow at Liberty University’s Baptist Theological Seminary, said he is not surprised that Saefkow holds senior positions in the congregation.

“It’s just Josh,” Wheeler said. “That’s him. I could see that for a long time. He is the epitome of a pastor/evangelist. He loves people and you don’t have to be with him long to know he loves Jesus.”

Wheeler said Saefkow has always had a teachable spirit and always strives to learn best practices to become a better pastor.

“He was wise to look for people in his life who would help him grow,” Wheeler said.