Trinity Baptist Church is at 1172 Nevils Denmark Road in Nevils, Georgia. Its auditorium, classrooms, and Family Life Center serve a congregation of more than 1,000 members, and its story reaches back to 15 people who started a Sunday school in 1975. Known by the motto “A Voice For God, A Heart For People,” Trinity has been led by founding Pastor Joe Eason since the beginning.
Fifteen People Begin the Denmark Sunday School
Trinity's opening chapter began on September 3, 1975, when 15 people met in a private home and prayerfully established the Denmark Sunday School, the forerunner of the church. The following week, the group met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Roberts, and 42 people attended. After a devotional from Psalm 23, the group elected its first officers and teachers. A local farmer and businessman then offered a closed warehouse in Nevils as a temporary meeting place for approximately six months.
At the third meeting, on September 17, the congregation chose the name Trinity to honor God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That meeting also extended a call to Joe Eason, the church's first and only pastor. Construction on the permanent building began in December on land donated by Mr. Roscoe Roberts. Members did most of the work, and the building was finished in about two months. On the second Sunday in February 1976, the congregation moved into its new home.
Trinity began with 39 members on its first chartering day. Expansion during the 1980s and 1990s brought a larger worship center, additional educational space, and the Family Life Center. These areas remain central to the church's rhythm: the sanctuary supports Sunday worship, the classrooms carry age-specific Bible teaching, and the Family Life Center hosts meals and community gatherings.
Sunday School at 10, Celebration at 11
Sunday at Trinity moves from study to worship. Students in grades 6 through 12 meet for Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.; the churchwide Sunday School begins at 10:00 a.m.; and Morning Celebration worship begins at 11:00 a.m. The service combines biblical messages from Pastor Eason with encouraging music from the Sanctuary Choir. Trinity describes its worship as dynamic and inspirational, while its music blends traditional hymns with some contemporary music.
Help for first-time visitors
Friendly ushers and greeters welcome people arriving for worship or Bible study. They offer a weekly bulletin and guest registration form, help guests find a seat in the auditorium or choose an appropriate class, and assist families with children. A parent may receive a brief tour of the children's facilities and an opportunity to meet the child's teacher. Trinity also livestrips worship and makes earlier services available through YouTube worship streams.
Children's Safety, Learning and Worship
Trinity's children's ministry spans the first days of life through fifth grade. Child safety is explicit in its arrangements: children's classes are grouped along one hall, a member of the security team is stationed at each end, and every volunteer who works with children completes a background check.
Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. gathers children into three groups:
- Nursery: Children ages 3 and under receive nurturing care and age-appropriate activities that introduce them to the love of Jesus.
- Pre-K and Kindergarten: Hands-on learning helps younger children begin understanding Bible stories.
- Elementary: Students in grades 1 through 5 study the Bible, discuss its teaching, and continue growing in faith.
During the 11:00 worship service, nursery children remain in their room with their caregivers. Other children begin the service seated with their families. At a designated point, Pre-K through first grade are dismissed to Children's Church for songs, games, and a special message designed for them. Students in grades 2 through 5 remain with their families for the full worship hour.
Wednesday programs begin at 6:15 p.m. Children spend 45 minutes in music and drama, rehearsing songs, skits, and performances, followed by a 30-minute class with games, crafts, and creative lessons about Jesus. The annual rhythm also includes a Fairytale Ball, Easter Egg Hunt, nursing home visits, Back to School Party, Fall Festival, and Vacation Bible School. Director Angel Cribbs leads the ministry and its volunteer opportunities.
Sixth Through Twelfth Grade
Trinity Student Ministries welcomes students in grades 6 through 12, including those who are new to faith or church life. Five commitments shape the program:
- Welcome all youth into a loving community
- Win hearts for Christ
- Worship God with passion
- Walk together in faith
- Witness to the world through word and action
Sunday School runs from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Middle school boys and girls meet separately, as do high school boys and girls, creating smaller groups for Scripture study, honest questions, and friendships. Wednesday programs run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and move through Camp Time, worship, and Bible study. On the third Sunday of each month, students spend an hour at a local nursing home sharing conversation, encouragement, and love with residents.
Activities beyond the regular gatherings include camping and fishing trips for guys, sleepovers and special events for girls, an annual theme park trip, and a week of summer camp. Students can also participate in the youth drama team or youth worship group. Vacation Bible School remains one of the ministry's largest annual gatherings and gives students a setting for friendship, energetic learning, and community.
Wednesday Meal, Midweek Bible Study and Giving
The Food Services Ministry prepares Wednesday meals from 5:00 to 6:15 p.m. in the Family Life Center. The meals give church families time to fellowship before the evening programs and make it easier for busy families to take part. Regular meals cost $7 per plate, while meals for children ages 1 through 5 cost $4. Orders are placed by Tuesday so the kitchen can prepare the right amount of food.
Children's programs begin at 6:15 p.m. in Room 100. Midweek student programs and Pastor-led Bible Study both begin at 6:30 p.m., with students meeting in the Family Life Center and Bible study in Room 120. Special small-group classes typically run for six weeks during the fall and spring, creating focused opportunities to discuss specific biblical topics and build relationships. Quarterly Church Conference meetings pair church business and reports with Food and Fellowship.
Trinity also makes secure online giving available, reflecting its stated commitment to freely give of money, talents, time, and love.
More Than 25 Ways to Serve
Trinity counts more than 25 active ministries involving men, women, students, and children. Women's Ministry, led by Sandra Stall, typically meets monthly for fellowship and inspiration, sponsors the Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon offerings, and hosts an annual Ladies Tea. Men's Ministry, led by Lee Davis, emphasizes Christian values, fellowship, and service to people with special needs. Each year, the men prepare breakfast following the Easter Sunrise service.
God's Companions is a ministry exclusively for widows. Led by Martha Lane, it meets monthly for lunch and fellowship at a local restaurant, creating companionship among women who understand the loneliness and changes that can follow the death of a spouse. The Visitation Ministry, led by Susan Forehand, visits nursing facilities, retirement homes, hospitals, and hospices to encourage people who can no longer attend regular services.
Other service teams include Food Services, which prepares Wednesday meals, quarterly gatherings, VBS meals, and event food; Hospitality Ministry's greeters and ushers; the Security Team; and the Building Presentation Ministry, which decorates for special occasions and maintains an orderly environment. Nonmembers may serve in a limited capacity, but they cannot hold ministry leadership positions.
Sanctuary Choir, Drama and Media
The Music Ministry leads congregational worship with the Sanctuary Choir and smaller ensembles, quartets, trios, and special groups for women, girls, and children. Traditional hymns and contemporary music both have a place in the repertoire. The group One Voice represents Trinity at community events and concerts, extending music as an outreach ministry. Minister of Music Fran Creech directs the ministry, and rehearsals are held at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays in the choir room during Sunday School.
Drama Ministry presents the Gospel through skits, creative storytelling, and theatrical presentations that connect biblical truth with recognizable moments of daily life. Nancy Eason directs the ministry. The Media Ministry supports worship through sound, lighting, video production, and live streaming under Director Brian Callahan, helping keep attention on worship and the Word of God.
Joe Eason's Continuing Service
Reverend Dwain A. “Joe” Eason has served as Trinity's founding pastor since 1975. Born in Jesup and raised in Liberty County, he preached his first sermon at age 14 at Gum Branch Baptist Church. He sang in a southern gospel quartet through high school and college before serving as youth pastor at Hinesville First Baptist Church and as pastor at Northside Baptist Church in Glennville, Mendes Baptist Church, and Register Baptist Church.
Eason studied at Bradwell Institute, Brewton-Parker Christian University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia Southern University Graduate School, and Luther Rice Seminary. He taught history, Bible, and English at Pinewood Christian Academy from 1971 to 1995, served as its chaplain, and developed its high school chorus. His wider ministry has included teaching college courses, serving as guest chaplain to the Georgia State Senate, preaching a revival in Italy, representing Trinity at Southern Baptist Convention meetings, and serving on the Georgia Baptist Convention's Nominating Committee.
What Trinity Believes and How Members Join
Trinity holds that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible, and in-exhaustive word of God and the basis of all Christian belief. Its mission commits the church to reach the lost with the Gospel, teach the saints the Word of God, love fellow believers and minister to their needs, worship the God of Glory, and freely give of money, talents, time, and love.
Membership is open through four paths:
- A profession of faith followed by baptism
- A letter from another Baptist church for a person already baptized
- A statement of salvation and baptism by immersion
- Presentation for membership from another denomination, followed by baptism by immersion
The church teaches that scriptural baptism is by immersion only. During an invitation at the front of the auditorium, Pastor Eason welcomes those who come forward.
Uganda, Baptist Missions and Community Gatherings
Trinity belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention, the Georgia Baptist Convention, and the Ogeechee River Baptist Association. The church supports its own mission teams and individuals as well as Southern Baptist Convention mission programs, including the Cooperative Program, Annie Armstrong for North American Missions, and Lottie Moon for International Missions.
Vacation Bible School gives the church another missions connection. The annual program is free for children and students from K4 through grade 12 and uses Bible stories, crafts, games, music, and friendships to explore God's nature. Its missions project supports Delight in the Lord Ministries in Uganda, which is building a chapel named Trinity with assistance from VBS students and the church family.
Community life at the Family Life Center includes the free Fall Festival and Country Jamboree, a family-focused gathering, and an annual summer social featuring hot boiled peanuts and homemade ice cream. Trinity's people also reach beyond the church grounds through children's nursing home visits, the students' monthly nursing home service, and Women's Ministry tea visits to a personal care home.
From the Denmark Sunday school in a private home to a congregation of more than 1,000, Trinity Baptist Church remains centered on worship, biblical teaching, family fellowship, practical service, and its motto: “A Voice For God, A Heart For People.”