5 Deacons Honored with Emeritus Status
December 16, 2018

Nick Bledsoe, Ed Thompson, Ronnie Hopkins, John Peebles, Jim Hix

On December 16, 2018, five deacons were awarded the status of Deacon Emeritus at FBC Jefferson.  This status is an honorary position that establishes these individuals as lifetime deacons.  We recognize them for their decades of service as deacons and continue to value their wisdom as we move forward as a church.  Here is a brief sketch of their contributions to FBC.

Nick Bledsoe

Nick Bledsoe was born January 30, 1941, in Georgetown, Ga., the son of Frank and Mary Bledsoe.

He was baptized in 1947 at Georgetown Baptist Church.  He was ordained as a deacon in 1975 at Beech Haven Baptist Church in Athens, Ga.

Nick was first elected as a deacon at Jefferson First Baptist in 1985 where he has served as Deacon Chair on three occasions.   He has also served as Church Treasurer, Church Clerk, and Sunday School Teacher.  He is responsible for the completion of the church constitution and by-laws as well as the personnel manual.  His attention to detail helps keep the Deacon Board functioning properly.

The most memorable moment at FBC was the ordination of his son Tom as a deacon.  Two other areas of which he is very proud is the establishment of the Administrative Board the publication of Reflections (150th Anniversary).

Nick is married to Sara, and they have six children:  Kate Capek, Francy Coran, Tom Bledsoe, Tony Weeks, Gary Weeks, and Sherri Toney.   They have ten grandchildren.

Jim Hix

Jim Hix was born October 26, 1935, in Commerce, Ga., the son of Rebon and Clara Hix.

He was baptized in 1951 at Blacks Creek Baptist Church in Commerce, Ga. He was ordained as a deacon in 1963 at Jefferson First Baptist and has served on the board for at least ten terms. He has served as Deacon Chair, Sunday School Teacher and has been a member of the choir for at least 50 years. His faithful service serves as a foundation for the generations to follow.

The most memorable moment at JFBC was the ordination of his son, Steven as a deacon.

The scariest moment was when he had to preach (ad lib) one Sunday when the preacher did not show up.

Jim is married to Vernell and has two sons: Bob and Steven. They have four grandchildren.

Ronnie Hopkins

Ronnie Hopkins was born December 3, 1946, in Rome, Ga., the son of KC and Irene Hopkins.

He was baptized in 1962 at Lindale First Baptist Church in Lindale, Ga. He was ordained as a deacon in 1980 at Jefferson First Baptist and has served five terms as deacon. He has served as Deacon Chair, Church Treasurer and Church Trustee as well as various committees.

One of the most memorable moments at FBC was getting to know the older deacons and learning from them.  He described them as the “true superstars” of the church.

He is also very proud of the establishment of the Administrative Board and the First Baptist Church Foundation. He was a co-founder of the efforts to support the Peru Children’s Home and has gone on four trips there.

He is married to Judy and has three children:  Kristy Eubanks, Holly Aldridge, and Ron Hopkins, Jr.  They have eight grandchildren.

John Peebles

John Peebles was born August 27,1939, in Dublin, Ga., the son of Julian and Nettie Peebles.

He was baptized in 1949 at Alamo Baptist Church in Alamo, Ga.  He was ordained as a deacon in 1980 at Jefferson First Baptist and has served at least three terms.  He has also served as Church Treasurer and Sunday School Teacher.

One of John’s most memorable moments was the construction of the Educational Wing to the church. In addition to the work he has done for our church,  John has been involved in foreign missions since about 1990.

He has made numerous trips to Mexico where he worked with medical mission projects where he used his expertise as a pharmacist and also helped build a nursing home.   He has also made trips to south Georgia,  Kentucky, and Peru. John never takes credit for the many things he has done for this church. However, today he can receive the recognition he deserves.

He is married to Connie and has two children:  Matt and Carmen.

Ed Thompson

Ed Thompson was born on November 11, 1935, in Athens, Ga., the son of Lonnie and Lois Thompson.

He was baptized in 1946 at East Athens Baptist Church in Athens, Ga.  He was ordained as a deacon in 1967 at First Baptist Church in Elberton, Ga.

He was first elected as a deacon at Jefferson First Baptist in the mid-1970s and has served several terms.  He has also served as Sunday school teacher and on various committees.

The most memorable moments at JFBC were the weddings of two of his sons.  He is also proud of the renovations of the kitchen and fellowship hall and his work with the Food Bank. He feels so blessed to be a part of this church which he describes as “a loving, caring, sharing, supportive congregation.”

I talked to a new member recently who said that Ed Thompson was the friendliest person she had met and was one of the reasons she joined the church.

He is married to Shirley and has three children:  Alan (deceased), Michael and Philip.  They have four grandchildren.