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The River's Edge Community

Church is approaching its tenth year and has not lost its original view,

that is, being a church for anyone wishing to come.

Situated on 20 acres on South Jeff Davis Drive, it conducted its first

church service on this site in December 1995.

Prior to that, services were in a restaurant, an old theater and in a

retail space behind a chicken restaurant.

River's Edge has established as its purpose "...to celebrate our

faith in Jesus Christ through worship that is saint-satisfying and seeker-sensitive;

to build relationships for reason of the gospel; to grow spiritually and

numerically; to give with generosity and cheerfulness to support the work

of the church; and to develop and implement effective programs and ministries

that exalt the Lord Jesus Christ."

Believing this with all its heart, it has a viable Spanish membership.

A Sunday School class is offered each Sunday morning at 9 a.m. and at

the worship service a simulcast of the service in Spanish is delivered

through headphones.

Six deacons have just been ordained and they are the first to do so at

River's Edge.

Perhaps reaching out to become a major transitional church is due to the

background of its senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. John Hatcher.

He is Georgia born and reared and was graduated from the University of

Georgia with a degree in political science. He worked as a writer at the

Columbus (Ga.) Ledger, was a federal program coordinator for the Sumter

County School System and served two years in the Army as a writer.

He finally heeded the calling that had been in his soul since the age

of 10 and graduated with a master of divinity at Southern Seminary in

Louisville, Ky. in 1975. He completed his doctorate of ministry in 1988.

Sunday morning services begin at 9 a.m. with Sunday School and worship

services are at 10:30 a.m. Bible classes are offered for all ages beginning

at 7 p.m.

The church is at 1091 South Jeff Davis Drive and can be reached at 770-719-0303.