It was just five years ago

this month that Sandy Creek Baptist Church called the Rev. Philip Johnson

to be its pastor.

He came to a church that had

been established in 1882 through the kindness of a man who gave two acres

of land "for the sum of $1.00 and good will." As with most churches

in the 19th century, it first began under a brush arbor.

The first wooden building was

burned but another one was built and the facility has been expanded and

improved since that time.

Sunday School was not conducted

until 1951 and a pastorum was built in 1966. The congregation has undergone

three name changes; the Church of Christ at Sandy Creek, Sandy Creek Baptist

Church of Christ, and finally, Sandy Creek Baptist Church.

In 1996 the congregation was

seeking a permanent pastor and Ree Shafer was chairman of that committee.

She told of the many churches visited throughout Georgia over several

months, but the committee could never be in full agreement.

They were told about an associate

pastor at the Tyrone Baptist Church but it was also hinted that Sandy

Creek "couldn't have him."

After hearing Johnson one Sunday

evening, the committee was in agreement to pursue the matter. In just

a matter of days, after a unanimous vote by the committee and the congregation,

he became its pastor.

One of the requirements during

the initial interview was to have him sing. He and a brother and sister

have sung gospel music throughout the Southern region, and all of them

play the piano.

His first week on the job required

an act that wasn't covered in college, finding out what a terrible smell

was near the front of the church. He crawled underneath the flooring and

found a dead possum. Showing his leadership skills, he brought it out

and properly disposed of it.

He married Cindi in October,

1990, and they are the parents of 2 1/2-year-old Natalie. They have the

distinction of having the first child born to a pastor serving the church

at the time.

He and his family were honored

this past Sunday morning with a plaque and a gift from the congregation

along with a special luncheon after the worship service.

Also on hand were his parents,

who drove down from Yorkville, Paulding County, where the Rev. Johnson

was reared.

He chose as his sermon on this

special day, John 3:16, concerning God's greatest gift, His son Jesus

Christ. He said that we must live our lives in such a manner as to reflect

our gratefulness for his gift.

"Many faiths," he

said, "have great leaders, but when those leaders die, they're gone

forever. God has given us a leader that we can look to all of our lives;

a leader that was tested and rose to that test, setting an example that

exists today.

"We should not be concerned

for the 'things' of the world and have both hands full of these things.

When God reaches down to test us, and puts out his hand, we should not

be concerned with having to decide which is more important, 'things' or

accepting God's hand.

"God is reaching down

and you must be ready to reach up," he concluded.

Sunday morning worship is at

11 a.m. and Sunday School begins at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday evenings there

is Bible study at 7 p.m.

It is at 1082 Sandy Creek Road

and can be reached at 770-964-9691.