New Southeast Regional Catalyst: Josh Remy

By Stephanie Heading

The Southeast Region has a new catalyst. 

“I am thankful to announce that the Mission Council unanimously approved the hiring of Josh Remy as our new SCBO Regional Catalyst for the Southeast Region,” said Dr. Jeremy Westbrook, executive-director, State Convention of Baptists in Ohio.

“This position was previously held by Art Fulks, who moved to Georgia to become an Associational Mission Strategist outside of Atlanta. Josh will remain as the full-time Lead Pastor of First Baptist Church, Waverly. We are grateful that our regional catalyst team is now back to full capacity. I am thrilled that Josh will be available to help network and serve our pastors in the southeastern part of the state convention.” 

Remy, who has served in Waverly for the past eight years, understands the issues facing pastors in the region. “It’s a tough area,” said Remy. “There are a lot of challenges in these poverty-stricken areas.”

One of the biggest challenges he sees is the isolation that Southeast Region pastors can experience. “The biggest need for pastors in the Southeast Region is connection--to know that they are not alone doing ministry on an island,” Remy noted. “It can be easy in smaller cities and rural areas to start to feel a little isolated. I want pastors to know that meaningful gospel partnerships exist. These could simply be fellowship and encouragement from other brothers or help finding the right resources.”

The biggest need for pastors in the Southeast Region is connection--to know that they are not alone doing ministry on an island.

SCBO developed a regional approach to ministry two years ago, and the regional catalysts have a mandate to minister directly to pastors in their areas. 

“The purpose of our regional catalysts is to champion pastors through peer-to-peer encouragement and to assist, where and when possible, in providing leadership training, ministry resources, and strategy planning,” said Jack Helton, SCBO Convention Relations - Regional. 

“They are important because they give the convention a broader and more specific means of connecting with pastors, hearing their hearts, and helping them to be energized in striving towards fulfilling God’s call upon their lives in their ministry context. Catalysts are servant leaders with a passion for serving fellow pastors and leaders!”