At Manchester Expressway and Veterans Parkway
Beallwood Baptist Church sits at one of Columbus, Georgia's busiest intersections, where Manchester Expressway meets Veterans Parkway. The building and the parking lot around it are easy to spot from either road, and a welcome center along with guest parking waits near the north entrance by the largest lot. The church describes itself as updated and multi-generational, a place that intentionally cherishes every age group and wants newcomers to feel that way too.
The church's motto, "Helping You Grow Your Faith," shows up front and center, and the longer mission statement carries the same emphasis: "We build Christ followers into those who love Jesus Christ and people and who serve both in the world." A higher stated purpose reads, "Beallwood Baptist Church exists to worship God and to make, mature and mobilize Christ centered disciples to reach our community and the world for the glory of God."
Sunday Mornings: Groups at 9:45, Worship at 11
The Sunday rhythm at Beallwood is straightforward. Sunday Groups meet at 9:45 AM for every age, and the main worship gathering begins at 11:00 AM. The music leans contemporary. The congregation lifts up songs many would hear on Christian radio, with relevant hymns folded in from time to time. Music Minister Scott Rhodes describes the goal of the music as pointing the body to the greatness of God and encouraging freedom in worship through corporate singing, while also presenting a diverse mix of traditional hymns and current praise music that bridges them and edifies the whole body.
The pastor preaches a passage from the Bible, applies it to daily life, and gives people an opportunity to respond at the end of the message. Children have their own worship time with Children's Director Amy Miles and her leaders, so families can worship together or release younger ones into age-appropriate programming.
What Beallwood Believes
Beallwood is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and affirms the Baptist Faith and Message. The church lays out its convictions in plain language:
- Our God: There is one God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who subsists in unity, and also as three separate distinct Persons.
- Jesus: Jesus Christ is God's Son. He was born of a virgin as both God and man, lived a sinless life, died to atone for the sins of human beings, was buried, arose from the grave, ascended into heaven, and will literally return to earth.
- The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the divine helper, assistant, counselor, and instructor, and His work is to reveal Christ, convict of sin, lead to repentance, guide believers, comfort, strengthen, and sanctify the soul.
- The Bible: The Bible is God's Holy Word, without error, and is the sole authority for life.
- Man's Need for God: Human beings are the special creations of God, made in His image. They fell from innocence through the sin of the first man, Adam, and all human beings are sinners in need of salvation.
- Salvation: Salvation is a gift through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. Every person who truly is saved is eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ and will spend eternity in heaven, while those who die in their sins will spend eternity in hell.
- Baptism: Baptism is by immersion after salvation and is done in obedience to Jesus Christ's command.
- Believers' Access to God: Each believer has direct access to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
- The Church: The church is a local body of baptized believers with the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head.
Children: From Nursery Through 6th Grade
Amy Miles has served as Preschool and Children's Director since 2019. A Columbus native, she graduated from Columbus State University in 2014 and from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2019, and her ministry centers on seeing children come to know, love, and serve God.
Children from birth through 6th grade have a place at 9:45 AM Sunday Groups, where teachers walk through the storyline of the Bible, primary doctrines of the Christian faith, and regular Scripture memory using Truth 78's curriculum developed by Desiring God. At 11:00 AM worship, families can choose what fits best. Children in 1st through 6th grade have their own optional Children's Worship time, while children who are not yet in 1st grade can stay in extended session in the nursery.
On Wednesday evenings from August through May, AWANA fills the building at 6:00 PM with Puggles (2-year-olds), Cubbies (ages 3 to 5), Sparks (K through 2nd), and Truth and Training (grades 3 to 6). The night includes Bible memory, game time, theme nights, and AWANA-only events. Each family gets in-class and at-home materials so parents can review what is being taught during the week.
Security is taken seriously. Every child is checked in at the children's desk, and once the service begins, all side entrances to the children's area are locked so the only way in is through the main sanctuary. Childcare workers must be church members with background checks on file.
Youth: Sunday Groups, Midweek Study, and Big Church
Youth and College Minister Israel Jane leads the youth ministry, which meets in Sunday Groups at 9:45 AM for an age-specific study through the challenges young people face, friendships, hurt, forgiveness, materialism, image, and the answers the Bible offers through life in Christ.
During the school year, a Midweek Bible Study gathers on Wednesdays at 6:00 PM with games, snacks, worship songs, and a portion of God's Word. Beallwood also expects its youth to be part of the 11:00 AM worship gathering. As the church puts it, Jesus never age-segregated who he considered to be the church, so students are treated as full-fledged members of the body and encouraged to worship in the sanctuary alongside their parents and grandparents.
Caleb's Crew: The Senior Adult Ministry
Senior Adults at Beallwood, age 55 and up, call themselves Caleb's Crew, a name that captures the energy the church sees in this group. They meet on the first Thursday of each month at 11:30 AM for a covered-dish luncheon followed by a half-hour program such as a Bible study, a singer or musician, or a speaker with helpful information for seniors.
The group occasionally ministers through singing at local senior adult centers and extended care facilities, and most months includes a day trip. Twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, they head out for a longer trip. Past destinations include conferences in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and meals at small-town restaurants across the South. The trips are about laughter, fellowship, and seeing more of God's creation together.
A Missions Strategy Built on Acts 1:8
Missions anchor Beallwood's ministry. The church works from Acts 1:8 as a pattern: be involved in Jerusalem (Columbus), Judea and Samaria (the wider region and nation), and to the ends of the earth (internationally).
In Columbus, the church supports Mission Columbus, a partnership of local Baptist churches, and partners with a nearby elementary school where volunteers work one-on-one with children who need help with reading, building sight words, fluency, and confidence.
Across the region, Beallwood currently partners with Glade Creek Baptist Church in Habersham County, Georgia. The church has previously worked with Watauga Baptists in Tennessee and with churches in Mississippi, Kentucky, and Brooklyn, New York, on Backyard Bible Clubs, VBS, block parties, evangelistic efforts, and construction and home repair after hurricanes and tornadoes.
Internationally, Beallwood has carried ministry from the United States into Mexico and Taiwan, and the church maintains ongoing communication with and support for personnel serving in Europe and Africa. Long-term international efforts continue to be prayerfully considered.
The Pastoral Team and Worship Leaders
Senior Pastor David Mills has served in ministry since 1985 and at Beallwood alongside his wife Michelle since 1990. The couple have four children. David holds degrees from three Christian institutions, from a bachelor's to a PhD, and has pastored, led student ministries, run student camps, taught in a seminary, and served as a state missionary. He has taught and preached in fifteen states and four foreign countries, including Israel. Michelle serves as an interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Music Minister Scott Rhodes was called to worship ministry in 1999 and has served for more than twenty years across four churches. He and his wife Kim have been married for over forty years and have five children. Israel Jane leads youth and college ministry, Amy Miles leads preschool and children's ministry, and Luke Mills serves the staff as ministry assistant.
Joining Online and Planning a First Visit
Beallwood livestreams the 11:00 AM Sunday service and keeps an archive of previous messages for those who want to worship before coming in person or who are hindered from attending. A weekly newsletter called the Beallwood Beacon keeps the congregation informed about events and important news updates, and a prayer request form sends needs directly to the staff.
First-time guests find guest parking and a welcome center near the north entrance, by the largest parking lot. Families are welcome to ask any question through the "Plan a Visit" form, and visitors with children can ask about the check-in process, what is taught, and what a first Sunday looks like for their family.