Christian Peterson
news@greenepublishing.com
David Garrett was born on Feb. 13, 1959, in Live Oak and eventually graduated from Suwannee High School. To further his education, Garret then went to Stetson University in DeLand, Fla., where he got his bachelor's degree in Psychology. From there, he moved on to the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Forth Worth, Texas. Finally, in 1986, he graduated with his master's degree in Religious Education with a concentration in Counseling. While this was the end of his educational career, his journey throughout the church had started long before and continues to this day.
Garrett accepted Christ when he was nine-years-old at Westwood Baptist Church in Live Oak. It was there he began his exploration into serving churches. His youth pastor was known for encouraging young men and women to lead music and Bible studies. Garrett took advantage of this and had tried his hand at many different things within the church by the time he made it to Stetson. There, the college held weekend revivals that students were invited to participate in, and where Garrett served as an Activities Director. Once he graduated from seminary, he was ordained and continued his work in churches all over Florida.
His first position was part-time at Greenville Baptist Church, where he served as the Youth Director for the church's summer youth activities. From there, he made a big jump to his first full-time position with Ridgewood Baptist Church in South Carolina, where he served there for seven years as the Minister for Youth and Education. The church began to grow, and Garrett felt himself being pulled in many directions throughout the church. Still, he felt a different pull from God to go to the Jacksonville Baptist Association. For the next 17 years, his life was busy. He began serving as the Church and Community Ministries Director. On top of that, he engaged in mission work throughout Jacksonville, ministering to locals and helping churches get settled into the area. Eventually, he felt another pull to Shindler Drive Church in Jacksonville and made a move to work there. This time, he served threefold in Discipleship, Missions and Administration. He spent time trying to split his focus throughout these areas, even going so far as to do mission work in Haiti. However, he felt himself once again being stretched too thin. With all his experience, he decided it was time to go home. After eight years at Shindler Drive, Garrett made his way back to Live Oak.
For the next three years, Garrett traveled to associations and churches throughout North Florida. He worked with the associations to revitalize them and bring more church members. While he was visiting the Madison association, Garrett found out that there was an opening for the Associational Mission Strategist position. He didn't necessarily see himself in the position at first, but after hearing support from many of his friends and people he had worked with over the years, he decided to put his name in for consideration. He was given the job and officially started in November of 2022, where he is still serving today, helping to make missions more straightforward, more accessible and available to the churches in the area. “David was voted in as our Associational Mission Strategist at our Fall Annual Meeting in October of 2022 and we are excited to have him on board,” the Middle Florida Baptist Association website states.
The Middle Florida Baptist Association has 29 member churches, including, Beulah Baptist Church, Brewer Lake Baptist Church, Central Baptist Church and Madison First Baptist Church. They involve themselves in many ministries such as disaster relief, children's camps and the Women's Missionary Union. Garrett works with Lauren Churchwell the administrative assistant and Gary Townsend the North Region Catalyst with the Florida Baptist Convention. To contact the Middle Florida Baptist Association call them at (850) 973- 8607, visit their Facebook page named Middle Florida Baptist Association or write to them at PO Box 702, in Madison. The office hours are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Garrett has been married for 40 years to his childhood sweetheart, Donnie. Together they have three kids, is eldest daughter, Darla Dietz, who is 35-years-old, and his 31-year-old twin sons, Marcus and Caleb Garrett. They also have four grandkids, two boys and two girls. Garrett's favorite verse of the Bible is John 16:33, which reads, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." His favorite book of the Bible is Ephesians, which is helpful in counseling. "I exist to help people connect with God's purpose, clarify God's plan and conduct lives filled with meaning," Garrett said.