About – GMBN

About Gwinnett Metro Baptist Network

Purpose

The Gwinnett Metro Baptist Network is a partnership of 140+ churches working together to serve our congregations and seeking to advance the gospel in our communities and throughout the world. Ninety percent of our member churches are in Gwinnett County, but we are genuinely A network of metro area churches located in suburbs northeast of the city of Atlanta. Our churches are led by some of the finest pastors in Georgia and worship takes place in more than twenty languages each week. The styles of the churches vary, but the doctrine and the mission are well aligned. Our ultimate vision is to see “every church thriving and missionally engaged.”

The purpose of the Network is to help the pastors and the churches to be biblically healthy and to work together in mission partnerships focusing on the metro area and then extending nationally and internationally with an Acts 1:8 strategic commitment. The churches work both in partnership and simultaneously to accomplish these objectives. The pastors work to strengthen one another, to grow in their pastoral skills, and to impact the community in partnership with the Network. Each church is autonomous and voluntarily cooperates with other Network churches. The churches give of themselves but also reap unique benefits that come with being a part of the Gwinnett Metro Baptist family of churches.

We invite you to check out our churches that minister in your community and if you are a pastor, you need a Network like this. Be sure to check out the brief video to learn more about our ministry as well as our priorities. If you would like to know more, please contact our Director, Dr. Steve Parr at steve@gmba.org.

To learn more about joining, click here to view our Network Benefits.

Dr. Steve Parr, Executive Director

In forty-plus years of ministry, Dr. Steve Parr has assisted thousands of churches in strengthening their ministries by motivating and training leaders through seminars, conferences, preaching, and personal consultations.

Dr. Parr has served with distinction in local churches as a staff member as well as the interim pastor of fifteen congregations. He is a graduate of Shorter University, has a Master of Divinity Degree in Christian Education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree in Church Growth and Evangelism from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was featured on the twentieth anniversary of the Billy Graham School of Evangelism of Southern Seminary as one of twenty alumni making a Great Commission impact around the world. He served on the Georgia Baptist Mission Board team for many years leading in the areas of Bible Study leader training, Evangelism, Next Gen Ministry, and ultimately on the Executive level providing leadership of a staff of over 175. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Georgia’s largest association of churches, the Gwinnett Metro Baptist Network.

His influence has been multiplied as author of several best-selling books on small group leadership, evangelism, and his novel; The Coffee Shop That Changed a Church. His signature book, Why They Stay, is based on a national research project of young adults who grew up attending church and have remained faithful into their adult lives. His forthcoming book, Giants, Kings, and Psalms is scheduled for publication in the spring of 2023. Please visit www.steveparr.net to learn more about his efforts to Maximize Leadership.

Steve is married to Carolyn and has three adult children, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren.

Email David at steve@gmba.org.

DAVID CARDOZA, Assistant Director & Church Planting Catalyst

The Gwinnett Metro Baptist Network is honored to introduce David Cardoza as our new Assistant Director & Church Planting Catalyst. David serves part-time as a Hispanic representative for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and has successfully planted three churches. David is a Gulf War veteran and a respected leader here in our network as well as in central and north Georgia. Email David at david@gmba.org.

BEVERLY HAMILTON, Executive Assistant

Beverly Hamilton is the Executive Assistant to Dr. Steve Parr, at the Gwinnett Metro Baptist Network where she has filled the role of Executive Assistant for the past 10 years. Beverly has a heart to serve pastors and churches as they strive to serve their congregations and communities. Her previous experience includes event planning, conference services, interior design, and several years in the court system as a Courtroom Clerk and Deputy Clerk of Superior Court. Beverly is a native of North Carolina but now calls Georgia home. She serves as Worship Leader at White Oak Baptist Church in Lilburn and is an active member of Jubal Ministries, which is a music ministry comprised of the Sons of Jubal and Jubalheirs focused on supporting Georgia Baptist churches. Beverly enjoys theater, singing, painting, and most of all time with family and friends. Email Beverly at beverly@gmba.org.

CASEY KIMBRO, Financial Administrative Assistant

Casey Kimbro is the Financial Administrator for the Gwinnett Metro Baptist Network. She was raised in South Florida and has had a background in finance for over 15 years. She met her husband, Pastor Caleb Kimbro when they were in middle school. They have three children, two girls and one boy, Campbell, Collins, and Cove. Casey has a passion for ministry and loves working with her church and the Network to help fulfill the Great Commission. She enjoys hiking, reading and spending time with her family. Email Casey at casey@gmba.org.

TINA CHOI, Church and Community Ministries Director

Tina Choi is the Church and Community Ministries Director for the Association. She is retired from the North American Mission Board where she served as a missionary in the Greater Philadelphia Baptist Association consisting of 130 churches. The majority of the churches are African American churches. Tina also worked for Georgia Baptist Mission Board for two years. She has extensive experience in working with other denominations such as the Salvation Army, the Catholic Archdiocese and the Red Cross and other agencies to help underprivileged populations in the community. She has an undergraduate Social Work degree from University of Louisville and master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. She also attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary majoring in Christian Education. She is married to Bong who serves as a pastor in our Network, and has two sons. Email Tina at tina@gmba.org.

JOSEPH S. LEE, Associate Consultant

Joseph S. Lee is an associate consultant to Dr. Steve Parr and an ambassador for the Gwinnett Metro Baptist Network. He is an endorsed church planter by the North American Mission Board and planted a church with our Network in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Joseph was a 1st lieutenant of the Air Force where he was an Aide-de-Camp to a commander. He was also a student life coordinator to Emory University where he received his master’s degree in Theology. He was also a financial aid enrollment specialist to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he is currently working on his Ph.D. in preaching. Joseph is married to Hannah Kim and they have three children—Shalom, Irene, and Victor. Email Joseph at joseph@gmba.org.

DAVID S. BRUSON, SR., Associate Consultant

David S. Brunson, Sr., has been the founder and senior pastor of Trinity Life Church in Dacula, Georgia, since 2002. He has over 20 years of youth ministry experience at Christ the King Baptist Church, Hopewell Baptist Church, and Antioch Baptist Church. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from DeVry University and a Master of Divinity from Luther Rice University. In the Atlanta Metro Area, he has served on the board of Directors for the Atlanta
Children’s Shelter and Rainbow Village, serving families in need. In Gwinnett, he serves with the Lawrenceville Coop, Unite!-Gwinnett, the Lazarus Project @TLC, and as the Vice President of the GMBN New Church Foundation. David has sent out multiple church plants through Trinity Life Church, including All Nations Metro Church of Roanoke, Holy Way Ministries, World Life Church, and Greater Love Missionary Baptist Church of Lawrenceville, Georgia. David is the loving, and devoted husband of his beautiful wife, Tara, who he believes is the most supportive member of his pastorate. David is also the proud father of 4 adult children (Dave Jr, Stephanie, Tajala, and Tcyan) and grandpa of 8 grandchildren (Talana, Dave III (Tre), Lucy, Anthony Jr, Scarlett, Mason, Carter, and Madison). Email David at david@gmba.org.

MADISEN MAYFIELD, Communications Director

Madisen Mayfield is the Communications Director for the Gwinnett Metro Baptist Network. Madisen has been involved in church marketing and communications for nearly ten years first starting out as a high school intern at a local church in her area. Madisen has lived in Gainesville, Georgia all her life and has been actively involved in churches within the Chattahoochee Baptist Association throughout her entire life. In addition to being the Communications Director for GMBN, Madisen owns a creative agency called MK CRTV that specializes in equipping faith-based organizations and faith-based leaders in all things branding, communications, graphic design, and marketing. Madisen calls Chestnut Mountain Church in Flowery Branch home where she serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications. In 2020, Madisen wrote and published her first book, Making Church Marketing Simple: The 6 Questions Every Church Leader Needs to Answers. Madisen is a graduate of Liberty University obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Digital Marketing and Advertising in 2018 and a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication in 2020. Email Madisen at madisen@gmba.org.

DEBORAH ADDINGTON, Kid’s Ministry Consultant

At the age of 8, Deborah accepted Christ as her personal Savior and fully understands how God can and does speak to children. Her devotion to Him led her to surrender her life at a Christian camp when she turned 16. For over four decades, she has been passionately involved in Children’s Ministry, serving as the Children’s Director at three different churches, including the groundbreaking role of being the first full-time Children’s Director in Gordon County at Belmont Baptist Church.

Along with serving as a Kid’s Ministry Consultant for the Gwinnett Metro Baptist Network, she is the Director for IGNITE 3:16, Inc. in Georgia. Her primary focus and passion is to see children embracing God’s love, accepting Him as their Savior, and being guided to follow and serve Him throughout their lives and accomplishes that goal by connecting local churches with local elementary schools.

Residing in Adairsville with her husband, Donny, and their beloved little dog, Teddy, Deborah cherishes her three grown children, Mandy, Marc, and Matthew, and takes immense joy in being “Nana” to her five beautiful grandchildren, Maxton, Macie, Kai, Haley, and Kade.

TODD JONES, Student Ministry Coordinator

An Atlanta native, Todd is a graduate of the University of West Georgia and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married to Jennifer, and they have 3 children Trey, Maggie Hollis, and Colson. Todd served at First Baptist Grayson before coming to First Baptist Duluth in April of 2014. He has served in Gwinnett county since 2004. He has served in student ministry for 24 years.