“I would like for everyone in the world to know and trust Him,” Brian Phillips
“Jesus Saves!” “Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ!” “Be saved today!” If you’ve ever heard one of these phrases shouted while driving down Main Street on your way to McDonald’s, then you know Brian Phillips, a local man who is on a mission to point Blackshear toward Jesus Christ.
Phillips is a highly involved and passionate Christian at Bethel Baptist and collects tithes every Sunday.
“Brian's going to say ‘amen’ or ‘praise the Lord’ (in church), and put his hand up ...” said his mother, Glenda Phillips.
When Brian’s pastor, the Rev. Joe Chancey, confided he’d like to see more people in church, B. Phillips accepted the challenge and began evangelizing the most efficient way he knew how: by standing at one of Blackshear’s most high-traffic areas to proclaim Christ is Lord.
Phillips has wholeheartedly committed to showing up on the street corner daily—only missing Sundays and one snow day since beginning his mission five years ago.
“I would like for everyone in the world to know and trust Him,” said Phillips. “If He can save me, you know, then He can save anybody, because I was as wicked as they come.”
Originally from Scuffletown, Brian and Glenda moved to Blackshear in 1977 to be near family.
Ever since, the Phillips’ have been active members of Pine Grove, Victory and Bethel Baptist Churches.
“Brian got saved early, when he was 15 years old,” said Glenda, “out here at Pine Grove Church, right after we moved over here.”
After being saved, Brian encountered a difficult few years in early adulthood. His mother said he “wasn't doing like he should . . . going out with people and drinking and stuff...”
“That's what happened to his eye...one night, he went to a party and (some men)... saw he had money, and they ran over him and the mirror on their vehicle hit him (above the eye) and knocked him out, and they robbed him.”
Brian said, “Me and this boy I worked with, we always got off on Fridays and went out...got intoxicated... That’s how I got in a car wreck in 1984...I was in a coma for about two and a half months.”
Shortly after his wreck, Brian began rebuilding his life in Waycross, with Jesus at the center.
“We go to the grocery store and Brian's asked everybody in the grocery store: ‘Do you know the Lord? Are you saved?’” Glenda said. “And he reads his Bible every morning. We have coffee and we read the Bible.”
“I thank the Lord every day. When I get up in the morning, I pray and talk to the Lord,” said Brian. “I would like for everyone to get saved and trust the Lord Jesus Christ with their life. You know, live for Him.”
Glenda added, “It makes us change...if people tell you they're saved and you don't see no change, they're probably not saved . . . it changes your life. You change completely. You really do.”
