A great week of celebration is in store.  
Members of Gum Branch Baptist Church are gearing up for their 175/180th church anniversary with a week of revival and homecoming services. Events begin Saturday, Feb. 22, and end March 2. The church is at 8590 Highway 196 W. in Gum Branch.
“The church was formally chartered 175 years ago, but it was 180 years ago when members started meeting in the clearing of trees (brush arbor) to have church,” said Vicki Davis, a member of the church’s anniversary celebration committee.  
Davis said that at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, there will be a gospel concert, with groups such as Doxology, Roman’s Road and Tru Gospel Direction. Fellowship will follow the concert.
On Sunday morning, Feb. 23, the revival/homecoming services kick off with the morning service at 10:15. The Rev. Bill Easton, who was raised and called into the ministry at Gum Branch, will be the speaker. The evening service is at 6, with the Rev. Rick Brown, interim pastor, as the speaker.
At 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, there will be a lay-led prayer service followed by a churchwide outreach (canvas the community). At 7 nightly Tuesday-Friday, Feb. 25-28, Dr. Len Turner of the First Baptist Church of Woodstock will conduct revival services. Turner is a well-known evangelist who has preached before the Georgia, Florida and Mississippi legislatures, as well as the Southern Baptist Pastors Conference. He has served as the pastor of churches in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Georgia, to include the Calvary Baptist Church in Savannah. Turner has baptized more than 4,000 individuals and led more than 900 revivals, with more than 15,000 professions of faith.
Tuesday night will have the ladies ministry focus. Wednesday night will feature the youth ministry focus. Thursday night will have the men’s ministry focus. There will be a fellowship immediately following the Friday-night service.
A gospel concert featuring Daniel Crews, resident artist of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta, with Dr. Charles Stanley, will be at 6 p.m. March 1. The First Baptist Church choir of Hinesville and Gum Branch Baptist Church choir also will be in concert. Fellowship will follow the concert.
The revival/homecoming will culminate Sunday, March 2, with a brush arbor Sunday-school service, featuring lay speaker Deacon Andy Stewart, at 9 a.m. Dr. Tom Smiley, pastor of Lakewood Baptist Church in  Gainesville, Ga., will conduct the homecoming service at 10:15 Sunday morning. Smiley was raised and called into the ministry at Gum Branch Baptist. Dinner will be at noon. There will be no evening service.
The Gum Branch Baptist Church family invites family, friends and the community to join them for this momentous occasion.
For more information, go to www.gumbranch.org or call 876-3630.