by Wayne Faison

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On August 11, 2026, pastors and ministry partners from across the Tidewater/Mid-Tidewater Region gathered at Riverwalk Restaurant in Yorktown for a Pastors & Partners Networking Luncheon hosted by BGAV around a shared question: How can we, as Virginia Baptists, faithfully respond to the systemic challenges currently facing the people living in our communities?

I shared with those gathered that this same question had been posed in both our Northern Virginia and Southwest Virginia regions.

Specifically for the Tidewater/Mid-Tidewater Region, the conversation acknowledged several realities affecting our neighbors, including working-class poverty, industry exodus and workforce depletion, healthcare and Medicare disparities, limited community economic reinvestment, racial segregation, housing insecurity, and the growing need to understand emerging issues such as artificial intelligence and its impact on clean water and aquifers. Leaders also discussed the movement of affluent families westward, the need to protect the unborn, and the importance of serving people directly within their communities. Yet, for me, the spirit of the gathering was not defined by problems; it was defined by possibilities and opportunities.

The luncheon reminded me that churches are uniquely positioned to become places of hope, connection, advocacy, compassion, and practical action. As we discussed, free clinics, workforce development, affordable housing partnerships, community economic initiatives, environmental stewardship, and ministries addressing incarceration and family instability can become pathways through which Virginia Baptist churches demonstrate the love of Christ.

In fact, a particularly compelling theme emerged from our conversation: We must work among the people to make a difference. Ministry cannot always happen from a distance. We are called to listen, build relationships, walk alongside our neighbors, and discover where God is already at work. This is the opportunity before us as Virginia Baptists. Rather than simply responding to disparity, we can help cultivate flourishing communities. Rather than waiting for crisis, we can build partnerships that create opportunity.

I firmly believe that, grounded in BGAV’s calling to have a “Heart for the Not Yet,” Tidewater churches can move forward with courage and hope. The future is not without challenges, but neither is it without possibilities. Together, we can believe that God is still writing a better story for our communities and that God’s church can be part of it.

Now, with three Pastors & Partners Networking Luncheons under our belts, I’m looking forward to our next gathering on September 21 in the Capital region.

Rev. Dr. Wayne Faison is BGAV’s executive director.

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