Eighty-five

years after it was formed, the Tyrone Baptist Church is

still reaching out in its community and growing with the

times.

"We

are still a Bible-centered ministry," said its

senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. James R. Burdette. "We

emphasize not only the word of God, we explain the `what'

and the `how' of His word so that everyone will

benefit."

professional counseling service is now offered, headed by

the church's minister of education and minister of

counseling, the Rev. Keith Stell. He is a licensed

therapist in both marriage and compulsive addictive

disorders.

The service

is available to Fayette countians and referrals from

other churches is the norm. A sliding fee can be

scheduled if necessary and because Stell is licensed by

the state of Georgia, he can accept some HMOs.

Now that

the goal of a counseling center has been met, the next

goal for the church is a senior adult day care center.

Plans are now on the drawing board but a lot of looking

and searching and planning will have to take place first.

Among plans

in the near future is a marriage retreat, planned for

October at Fort Mountain, Ga.

The

membership roll of about 550 persons still includes many

names that were found on the 1915 roll, such as Whitlock,

Farr, McEachern, Elder, Pollard and Slaton.

Services

include Sunday School at 9:30 a.m., worship service at

10:45, a Bible study that is open to anyone wishing to

attend at 5 p.m., and an evening worship service at 6. On

Wednesday mornings, a Bible study is offered for adults

at 11 a.m. and at 7 p.m., a Bible study is conducted for

all ages.

The church

is at 305 Arrowood Road, Tyrone, and can be reached at

770-487-4385.