James W. Goolsby, Jr., a pastor whose ministry is marked by a spirit of true compassion and sincerity, is known for his passion for praise and worship. As the Word declares, "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" (1 Chronicles 16:29), Pastor Goolsby's love for God exists as a result of a personal and ongoing love affair between him and the Lord.
His commitment to the Lord began at four years of age when he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and was baptized by Pastor E. D. Thomas at the Beulah Baptist Church, Decatur, Georgia. As a young man, Pastor Goolsby was ordained as a Deacon in 1981 and served zealously in this role, until he accepted the call to preach the gospel and was ordained as a Baptist minister in August 1991.
He worked and served faithfully at Beulah Baptist Church as Youth Minister until he was chosen to serve full-time as Minister of Pastoral Care under the leadership of Pastor Jerry D. Black.
Chosen by God to begin his pastorate in April 2004, Pastor Goolsby has been blessed with a beautiful marriage of church and pastor. God has used Pastor Goolsby to serve and lead others to Christ, to usher in a spirit of genuine love for the people of God, to shape and stabilize an atmosphere of true worship, praise and fellowship, to re-establish and add new ministries, to increase church membership, active participation, and to increase Bible Study attendance. He is committed to developing and maintaining a standard of excellence in Christian service.
Well respected by many throughout the country for his integrity and candid personality, Pastor Goolsby's greatest desire is that men would see his good works and glorify his Heavenly Father. Whether it is reconciliation for the lost, teaching and instruction for those who are young in the Lord, or reliance on the Holy Spirit for the spiritually mature, as an avid preacher and teacher of God's Word, Pastor Goolsby has been given a ministry to meet the needs of God's people for this present age.
Pastor Goolsby takes no credit for the blessings God has allowed him to enjoy. He is under girded by a loving wife, Gloria Goolsby, and two wonderful children, Ameerah and Christopher. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Pastor Goolsby graduated with honors from both the Booker T. Washington High School and Morehouse College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. He continued his educational pursuits at Georgia State University's graduate school of Counseling, as well as, the Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center, and Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology.
Pastor Goolsby serves as Moderator of the Middle Georgia Orthodox Missionary Baptist Association, faculty member of the State Congress of Christian Education of the GMBC of GA, Inc., member of the New Baptist Covenant, member of the Macon-Bibb Mayor's Council of Clergy, and a freelance writer in the religion section of the Macon Telegraph.