A Baptist Church on Highway 81 in Loganville
The Summit Church meets on a ten-acre campus on Highway 81 in Loganville, Walton County, Georgia, where the congregation has gathered since the late 1990s. The church takes the name "Summit" seriously. Its tagline - Advancing the Gospel, Together - captures a simple conviction: the people of God are stronger when they walk in the same direction, week after week and season after season. Sundays center on expository preaching through books of the Bible, gospel-rich congregational singing, and a children's ministry designed to make disciples of the next generation. The current lead pastor, Dr. Jesse Welliver, was called in September 2024 to shepherd the church into a new season, building on a foundation that began more than three decades ago in the homes of believers near Claude Brewer Road.
From Living Rooms to a Worship Center
Summit Church began in 1992 when a small group of believers started meeting in homes near Claude Brewer Road. Their aim was to reach people who were not being reached by traditional churches, so the earliest gatherings carried a contemporary sound and a casual, welcoming feel. In 1993, the church purchased ten acres of land on Highway 81 in Loganville and began holding services in a temporary chapel. The first official worship service took place on February 6, 1994, and shortly afterward, Pastor Butch Butcher was called as the first pastor. The current Worship Center was completed in 1998, and the campus has since grown to include multiple buildings, with weekly ministry happening in Buildings 100, 200, and 300.
Through every season, the church has held to the same unchanging center: leading all people to look to Jesus above all else.
Six Core Priorities
Everything at Summit is shaped by six stated priorities, written out plainly so visitors and members share the same vocabulary:
- Gospel Centrality and Clarity - every program, message, and conversation is meant to point clearly to the good news of Jesus.
- Biblical Preaching - the pulpit works through books of the Bible so the congregation can understand and apply Scripture in daily life.
- Compelling Community - Summit is built around deep, Christ-shaped relationships rather than a service to attend.
- Healthy Homes - parents are equipped to model what it means to follow Jesus in the rhythms of family life.
- Deep Discipleship - the goal is mature, equipped followers, not surface-level faith.
- Training Leaders - the church invests in men and women called to serve, shepherd, and multiply the mission.
A Sunday at Summit: 9:00 Groups, 10:30 Worship
Sunday mornings follow a steady rhythm. At 9:00 AM, age-appropriate groups meet across the campus. Preschoolers gather on the first floor of Building 200, first through fifth graders meet on the second floor of Building 200, and adult Connect Groups meet in classrooms and on the main level. Student Connect Groups meet at the back of the building during the same hour.
At 10:30 AM, the church gathers in the Worship Center in Building 100 for the main service. The service is described as Christ-centered, gospel-rich, and multi-generational, blending contemporary worship music with timeless truths. The preaching is expository, working through books of the Bible, and the order of worship includes Scripture reading, congregational singing, prayer, communion, and baptism when appropriate. The music is led by a worship team that draws on both modern worship songs and older hymns. Summit's worship services are livestreamed on YouTube, and a sermon archive is available for anyone who missed a Sunday or wants to revisit a message.
What to Expect as a First-Time Guest
Summit reserves guest parking spots directly across from the main entrance. A Connection Team is stationed at the door to greet, answer questions, and help families find the right classrooms. Dress is casual - some wear jeans, others wear ties, and the only rule is that guests feel welcome.
Children in first through fifth grade are encouraged to worship with their parents in the main service and receive a kids' worship bag to help them engage. Preschoolers are cared for in age-specific groups during the service. On the last Sunday of every month, kids in pre-K through second grade can attend Base Camp, a separate, Jesus-centered worship experience with games, crafts, and teaching designed just for them. The rest of the month, grade schoolers stay with their families in the Worship Center.
Summit Kids
Sunday morning programming for children runs in two tracks. The Preschool area (babies through kindergarten) is open at 9:00 AM on the first floor of Building 200, and the Children's Ministry (first through fifth grade) meets on the second floor of the same building. Parents can pre-register children online to speed up the first visit. The team also runs TeamKID, a high-energy Wednesday night program at 6:30 PM on the second floor of Building 200 that helps kids build friendships around Bible teaching and Scripture memory.
Summit Students
Summit Students exists to help middle and high schoolers grow in their relationship with Jesus, build meaningful friendships, and discover their purpose. The ministry runs in three weekly touchpoints: Sunday morning Connect Groups at 9:00 AM at the back of the building, the main worship service at 10:30 AM in Building 100, and a dedicated gathering on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM in Building 300. The aim is to give students a place to ask hard questions, live out their faith, and step into leadership in their schools and neighborhoods.
Adults: Connect Groups and Wednesday Nights
For adults, life at Summit happens in Connect Groups - small groups that meet on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM and throughout the week in homes and on campus. These groups are described as a spiritual family: a place to study God's Word, care for one another, and serve together. Wednesday nights add an equipping layer for deeper Bible study and practical discipleship. There are groups for adults of every stage of life, including seniors, and the church encourages newcomers to find a group as a first step toward belonging.
Abide365: A Repeatable Rhythm of Discipleship
One of the most distinctive things about Summit is Abide365, a one-year, all-in rhythm of discipleship designed to help every believer become the kind of disciple who advances the gospel. Abide365 organizes the Christian life into four steady practices:
- Daily - Read and Respond. Open Scripture each day and respond in prayer, using a four-fold pattern: read, reflect, renew, respond. A downloadable Acts Reading Guide walks readers through the book of Acts over the course of the year.
- Weekly - Worship and Witness. Gather with the church for worship each Sunday and share the gospel with someone in everyday life during the week.
- Monthly - Memorize and Multiply. Hide one passage of Scripture in the heart each month and pass it on to someone else, using a downloadable Scripture Memory Calendar.
- Quarterly - Share and Serve. Open life to neighbors through a B.L.E.S.S. framework: Begin with prayer, Listen, Eat, Serve, and Story.
The rhythm is intentionally simple and repeatable, so that the practices of following Jesus can run through a normal week, a normal month, and a normal year.
Make Disciples
Summit teaches that making disciples is the calling of every believer, not just pastors or staff. The church defines a disciple as someone who knows Jesus, follows Him in everyday life, and helps others do the same. Practical pathways include leading a Connect Group, mentoring a new believer, serving in Kids or Students, or equipping others in classes and Bible studies.
Weekday Preschool
The Summit Church Weekday Preschool operates Monday through Friday during the school year, enrolling children from one-year-olds through Kindergarten. The preschool uses the Abeka curriculum and includes daily Bible lessons, doctrinal drills, and Bible songs, along with chapel and music time. Classes are offered for 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, and Kindergartners, with options for two-day, three-day, and five-day schedules. Tuition and activity fees vary by class, and potty training is required for the three-year-old, four-year-old, and Kindergarten classes. Throughout the year, the preschool hosts field trips, a Grandparents Day lunch, an Evening Christmas Play, Easter Egg Hunts, and an end-of-year program that includes a graduation ceremony for pre-K students. Tours can be scheduled by calling the church office.
What Summit Believes
Summit Church holds to the historic Baptist Faith and Message. The church teaches that the Bible is the verbally inspired, fully trustworthy Word of God, without error in what it teaches, and the supreme standard for Christian belief and life. There is one true and eternal God, revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Creator and Ruler of all things. Human beings are made in God's image but have fallen into sin and can be reconciled to God only through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is by grace through faith and includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. The church is described as an autonomous local body of baptized believers, observing two ordinances - believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. The family is taught as a foundational institution, with marriage defined as the lifelong covenant union of one man and one woman. The full statement of faith, grounded in passages across both Testaments, is published in detail for anyone who wants to read it.
Serving and Giving
Summit offers a range of serving opportunities for anyone who wants to get involved, organized around six teams: the Connection Team (greeting and welcoming), Summit Kids and Students, Worship and Media, Facilities and Events, and Groups and Discipleship. Giving is described as an act of worship, not a transactional task. Gifts can be made securely online through Realm, placed in the offering plate during a Sunday service, or mailed to the church office. A printable giving page is also available for those who prefer to write a check.
Leadership and Pastoral Team
Dr. Jesse Welliver serves as Lead Pastor, having been called to Summit in September 2024. The church's first pastor, Butch Butcher, was called shortly after the first official service in 1994 and shepherded the church through its earliest years of growth. The office team can be reached at 770-466-6133 or karen@thesummitchurch.com, with office hours Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM ET. Summit Church shares its life and updates through Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where the live stream and sermon archive are posted each week.