10/06/2026
My heart is still full….
Now that I have finally had a few moments to slow down and reflect on Sunday, I honestly don’t know if words can adequately express how grateful Tamara, our family, and I are for the overwhelming love shown to us during our 11th Pastoral Anniversary at the Historic St. Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Sunday was more than an anniversary service. It was one of those days that reminds you just how blessed you are to be surrounded by people who love you, pray for you, serve with you, and walk alongside you in ministry.
There was absolutely no way I could properly thank everybody during the service without keeping us there until Monday morning 😂, but I cannot let this week pass without trying.
To Roy Varner and Audrey Lee, thank you for an absolutely delicious meal and truly world-class service. You all didn’t just feed us, you served us with excellence and love.
To Sis. Jinaki, Sis. Brooks, Bro. Newhouse, and everyone who helped with the decorations and preparation, everything was beautiful. Thank you for every detail, every hour, and every set of hands that helped transform the day into something so special.
Bro. Gobert, thank you for everything you do. So much of what you do may happen quietly, but please know it does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
To Sis. Harker and Minister Clark, thank you for the planning, coordinating, organizing, phone calls, decisions, and all the work behind the scenes that most people will never see. We appreciate you more than you know.
To Rev. Anthony Caraway and the entire media team, thank you for helping capture and share such a special moment in the life of our church.
To our Security Ministry, Ushers Ministry, Youth Ministry and youth leaders, W.I.A, MTM, Deacons ministry, thank you for serving with such care. And from Tamara and me personally, thank you for the kindness and love you continually show our children. When you love a pastor’s family well, you minister to the pastor in ways you may never fully understand.
To the Young Women of Praise Dance Ministry, thank you for blessing us through your ministry. What a beautiful expression of worship!
And Lord, have mercy, the MUSIC! To the entire St. Emmanuel Choir, our Minister of Music Michael Eddington, our choir director extraordinaire Fitzgerald Davis, and our incomparable percussionist Demetheus Benton, THANK YOU! You all blessed us tremendously. There is just something special about hearing the people you pastor lift their voices and gifts unto God.
I am also deeply grateful for every preacher who came to stand with us and celebrate what God has done over these eleven years: Pastor Logan, Pastor Cedric Chambers, Pastor Jacoby Ervin, Pastor Javoski Ervin, Pastor Edgar Lewis, Rev. Marcedes Fuller, Pastor George Edwards, Pastor James Lee, Rev. Stanford Turner, Rev. Earl Garden, Rev. Kendra Clark, and Rev. Anthony Caraway. Your presence meant more to me than you know.
And to Pastor Cedric Chambers, our keynote preacher, thank you for preaching the Word of God and pouring into us. We were tremendously blessed.
A very special thank you to Lady Chambers and the entire Mt. Calvary Baptist Church family for coming and sharing this moment with us. Your love and fellowship meant so much.
To every beautiful and graceful First Lady who took time to speak life into my wife, encourage her, embrace her, and share wisdom with her, I want you to know that I noticed it, and I am grateful. Pastoral ministry asks something of the entire family, and I am thankful for every woman who took time to pour back into Tamara.
To my mother, Cynthia Hall, thank you for always being there. And to my Uncle Corey, who got on an airplane and came all the way from Jacksonville, Florida just to celebrate with us, man, that meant the world to me.
To everyone who traveled from near and far, sent a gift, gave a card, made a phone call, sent a text, shared a post, offered an encouraging word, prayed for us, hugged us, served somewhere behind the scenes, or simply showed up to let us know, “Pastor, we love you and your family,” please know that we felt every bit of it.
And finally, to the Historic St. Emmanuel Baptist Church family:
Thank you.
Thank you for trusting me to serve as your pastor for these eleven years. Thank you for loving my wife. Thank you for loving our children. Thank you for allowing our family to grow with you, serve with you, cry with you, laugh with you, worship with you, bury loved ones with you, celebrate victories with you, and continue becoming all that God is calling this church to be.
Pastoral ministry is not always easy, but Sunday reminded me all over again that it is an incredible privilege.
Eleven years.
So many memories. So many lessons. So many prayers answered. So many lives touched. And through every season, God has been faithful.
Tamara, the children, and I are overwhelmed with gratitude.
St. Emmanuel, we love you deeply. Thank you for loving us back.
And after eleven years, I still believe our best days are ahead of us.
To God be ALL the glory. 💙🙏🏾
Pastor George & Lady Tamara Garnett
11 Years of Pastoral Ministry at the Historic St. Emmanuel Baptist Church
