Testimony of Pastor Tony Haefs

I was born on October 21, 1948 in Appleton, Wisconsin. Just eleven months after my birth my youngest brother and sister were born. My mother soon became very ill and, upon her doctor's advise, we moved to Texas to a warmer climate. A year later my mom passed away following a difficult battle with cancer. My dad, who was 36 at the time, found himself unable to care for his nine children (5 boys and 4 girls ranging in age from 11 months to 12 years), so he placed us in the Waco Methodist Children's Home in Waco, Texas. Due to the home limiting his visits to once a month, my dad began looking for another place for us, and on March 31, 1953 he placed us in the Corsicana State Orphans Home in Corsicana, Texas where I remained until I was almost 20 years old.

During my years in the state home, I learned very quickly how to fend for myself. I developed a bad attitude and did not trust adults at all. My first exposure to the "outside world" was when the First Baptist Church invited all 300 orphans to attend Sunday School and morning worship services. I had a difficult time understanding about God's love when all around me there was such a lack of it. I remember walking the aisle of the church at the age of nine after a visiting preacher preached on Hell. I was so scared that I did exactly everything they told me to do and from that day until a month past my twenty-eighth birthday, I believed I was saved and going to heaven.

Upon leaving the children's home I entered Baylor University and graduated with a BS degree in English and Physical Education. Upon graduation, I began teaching and coaching...fulfilling my lifelong dream. I moved to Sweeny, Texas where I met my wife, Teri. We were married on September 1, 1973.

We moved to Longview, Texas, in 1977 where I continued to teach and coach. It was here I came to know the Lord Jesus as my Lord and Savior in the fall of that year. I later knew the Lord calling me into the ministry. I taught school and coached for one more year, then worked in the oil fields while waiting for the Lord to open a door in ministry.

I began serving on staff at the First Baptist Church in Paris, Texas in January 1980 as their Minister of Activities and Pastoral Care. In March 1986 our family moved to Albany, Ga. where I served on staff at Sherwood Baptist Church March 1986; first in the area of Activities, then full-time as Minister of Pastoral Care. In 1999 I began to sense the Lord leading me to assume the role of lead Pastor. After two years of praying the Lord opened the door for my family and I to began serving Him at Gillionville Baptist Church as their Pastor.

Our time at GBC has been the most exciting years of ministry for our entire family. We have been on this faith walk journey 7 years now, and I thank the Lord for this wonderful opportunity to serve the family of God here in Southwest Georgia. My desire is to see a continual growth in God's family and to be faithful to God's call on my life until He calls me home.

My wife and I have blessed with four wonderful children during our years together. They are: daughters Christi (husband, Jeff) and Keira (husband, Johnathan), and sons Jonathan (wife, Holly) and Joseph.