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Happy New Year Georgia District family.


The office of pastor is a high calling. 1 Peter 5:2-4 says, "Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be...And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." We want to celebrate the men and women who willingly embrace this calling and accept a lead pastor position here in our District. Mantle, the fourth of our new quarterly emails, will spotlight a new lead pastor in our state. In this edition, you will meet Billy and Carmen Hood.

The Hoods are the new pastors at The Refuge at Victory (RAV) in Hinesville, Georgia. Previously from Florida, Billy retired from the Polk County Sheriff's Office in 2014 and Carmen is a high school teacher. They have two children: Julia, who is married and lives in Waycross, Georgia, and James, who is in 9th grade and an honor student at Liberty County High School. Pastor Billy, Carmen, and James reside near their new church and they enjoy biking, movies, and spending time together.

Pastor Billy's call to ministry was born through times of worship to the Lord. He and Carmen have served in many different ministries, including Royal Rangers, Missionettes, and couples and young adult ministries. They also assisted in planting a church while they were in Florida, and Pastor Billy has served as a worship leader and board member. In 2015 they followed the direction of the Lord and relocated to Blackshear, Georgia, where Billy served, completed his ministry school, and was ordained with the Assemblies of God while Carmen taught at Peirce County High School.

Interestingly, Pastor Billy began praying that The Refuge at Victory would find a pastor during the time that RAV began looking for one, and the Lord lined everything up perfectly. The RAV has been a great fit for the Hoods and the church members have become like family. The Lord has continued to bless the church, and they have seen salvations, water baptisms, and added several new members to their congregation. The future looks bright for the church under the leadership of the Hoods, and we are grateful for God's hand on their ministry.