DUBLIN, Ga. — A Dublin minister is still on a mission after receiving a fatal prognosis.
Bobby Jones has worked with Laurens Baptist Association for more than 15 years. In those 15 years, he's helped around 50 churches go on mission, but Jones says he didn't grow up dreaming of being a minister.
"God called me into ministry. I didn't want to be in ministry," Jones said.
As soon as Jones got the call, he knew it was his mission to serve others in their time of need.
"They may understand that Christ loves them, too, and that Christ has a plan and purpose for their life," Jones said.
in November of 2019, Jones got diagnosed with brain cancer. His doctor told him he had less than a year to live if he survived surgery.
"God sent some angels who said, 'This is not what's going to happen. They are going to be able to treat it with radiation and chemo,'" Jones said.
Now, fours years later and at 66 years old, the only setback Jones has is a limp. Margie Jones is married to Bobby and is a ministerial assistant at Laurens Baptist Association.
"God's even used that, too, because he is still an inspiration to me and others because he doesn't give up," Margie said.
She said it opened a new door for Jones. After surviving cancer, he says he felt the Lord told him to leave the Laurens Baptist Association and start chaplaincy, where he provides spiritual care for non-religious organizations extending his reach in ministry to help hundreds.
"God's using him as an inspiration to those people to give them that hope that so many people do need in the world that we live in today," Margie said.
"The message that I like to give more than anything is that God loves you, and that God created you for himself," Jones said.
Jones says he hopes to leave a legacy of serving God.
"He has a plan for your life. He has a purpose, and it is great," Jones said.
Jones says he's going to leave the Laurens Baptist Association at the end of February to focus his attention on chaplaincy.