By Haley Mitchell Godwin

South Luverne Baptist Church held an installation service Sept.18 for the church’s new full time pastor, Justin Jacobs. Jacobs is the church’s fourth pastor in its 37-year history. His first sermon as pastor will be Sunday morning at 10:55.

The Athens, Alabama, native, is the son and grandson of Southern Baptist music ministers.
He was led to Crenshaw County in 2006 where at the age of 22, he took his first church staff position as the youth pastor at Joquin Baptist Church.
Jacobs served at Joquin for four years before becoming the pastor at First Baptist Rutledge, where he pastored for just shy of four years. It was near the end of his time at Rutledge when Jacobs was led to South Luverne Baptist.

“God made it clear He wanted to plant more long-term roots at South Luverne Baptist Church,” Jacobs said. “I became their youth minister in 2013, and we’ve seen God work tremendously over the last nine years. He has now called me forward into a new role, and I’m excited to do all I can to bring Him glory in this new position.”

One of two children, Jacobs accepted Christ as his Savior at the age of 9. He surrendered to God’s call into the ministry at the age of 16 when he began preaching sermons at various churches and teaching youth classes.
Later, Jacobs was a Christian camp counselor and served as an event coordinator and church liaison for a traveling men’s ministry called MUD Ministries.

He and his wife of 13 years, Andi, have two children Harper Grace Jacobs (7) and Carter Andrew Jacobs (3).

Jacobs’ theory regarding ministry has always been to faithfully deliver the Word of God to whatever audience God puts in front of him, and he is eager to become more involved with South Luverne Baptist and the community.

“I’m honored He has laid it on the hearts of the people of South Luverne to call me their pastor,” Jacobs said. “I love this church deeply and am in awe of the big things God is doing with SLBC.”
Jacobs said a mantra he abides by is “Getting our Church into the Community to get our Community into the Church.”

“My vision for the church is simple: for us to know our God well enough and be close enough to Him that people outside the church see Him clearly through us in our families, jobs and all facets of life,” he said. “I want the members of SLBC to look different, affected by a true relationship with God, and for those who spend time with us to see a difference in our worship and our reverence of Him that is contagious.”

The arrival of Jacobs filles a position left vacant since Aug 1, 2021. The Pastor Search Committee held its first meeting Sept. 12, 2021, and the church voted Justin in as the new pastor Sept. 11.

Eddie Little, an active deacon in the church, served as chairperson of the Pastor Search Committee.

When asked how he knew that Jacobs was the one for the job, Little replied by saying he could write several pages regarding the answer, but kept his reply brief.

“I would have to say that God answered our ‘Prayers,’ and He made the selection for us,” Little said. Brother Justin meets God’s criteria from 1 Tim, Titus, and 1 Peter, and he also filled the needs of the church in many ways. Brother Justin is a man marked by great humility and he loves God, people, and the church. The church loves him too!”

South Luverne Baptist Church is located at 887 Glenwood Rd., Luverne, and can be reached at (334) 335-6885.