A 178-Year Story on Carroll County Ground
Midway Church traces its roots to July 15, 1847, when a small congregation in Carroll County organized as "The Baptist Church of Christ at Macedonia." Records indicate a relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention as early as 1850, a partnership the church still maintains. In 1854, members formed a special committee to raise money for missionaries, the same heartbeat that defines the church today.
The modern shape of Midway took form in the late 1990s. On June 2, 1996, Todd Wright was called to serve as Lead Pastor. Over the next quarter century he guided the congregation through what the church calls "a massive philosophy of ministry shift" while holding fast to its gospel-centered mission. In 2021, Pastor Todd led the church to begin a succession search. On March 13, 2022, Kevin Rivers was called as the next Lead Pastor. After three years of shared leadership, the baton was officially passed to Pastor Kevin in 2025, marking what the church describes as "a new season of growth and expansion."
Five Services, Two Locations, One Church Family
Midway meets weekly in Villa Rica and Bremen. The Villa Rica campus, located at 1 Midway Church Dr., offers Sunday services at 9:00 and 11:00 AM and a Wednesday gathering at 6:30 PM. The Bremen campus, located at 211 Davis Blvd., was launched from the merger of Midway Church with Bremen City Church and offers the same Sunday schedule at 9:00 and 11:00 AM. Student ministry at Bremen meets Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.
Both locations share a single budget, staff team, and ministry calendar. Services are livestreamed on YouTube and through the Midway Church app (available for Apple and Android devices), giving is available online through Pushpay, and the church keeps a calendar of upcoming events at each campus.
What to Expect on a Sunday Morning
First-time guests at Midway are greeted by a Connect Team in the parking lot. The church encourages visitors to turn on their hazard lights as they pull in for special upfront parking. Friendly Connect Team members are happy to show new arrivals around, answer questions, and help them feel at home.
The Sunday service runs about 75 minutes and includes worship music led by a worship leader and live band, along with a message from Scripture. The teaching pastors wear jeans and the dress code is casual. The music is contemporary, with a full band, media, and lighting as part of the experience. "You'll hear powerful stories of life change, how God is at work in our community, and how He is uniting all of us to make a difference around the world," the church explains.
Families are welcomed from the start. Midway Kids environments are available for children from six weeks old through fifth grade during every Sunday service, and adult Life Groups meet on campus during both service hours and throughout the week.
Midway Kids and the Kaleidoscope Room
Midway Kids Ministry serves children from six weeks old through fifth grade, divided into three programs. Midway Preschool cares for infants through pre-K, with rooms segmented by age. The youngest nursery cares for babies through 17 months; an 18-month to two-year room teaches God's Word through fun, engaging lessons; and once a child turns three they also attend a large group session where they sing, dance, and watch videos that reinforce each week's Bible story and each month's memory verse.
Midway Elementary is for kindergarten through third grade, organized by grade and gender. Teaching centers on three core messages: I need to make wise choices; I can trust God no matter what; I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Midway Preteen serves fourth and fifth graders with programming that recognizes "I am growing up." Children are checked in fifteen minutes before each service, and a snack of goldfish or Cheez-Its is offered during the second hour in Elementary.
For families whose children have additional needs, Midway's Special Needs Ministry offers self-contained classrooms, a modified weekly curriculum, and a sensory-friendly environment called the Kaleidoscope Room. Background-checked staff and volunteers lead every classroom. New families can schedule a tour through Mallory Drake, the ministry director.
Students and Young Adults in the Midst of Transition
Midway Students serves sixth through twelfth graders across both campuses. At the Villa Rica campus, middle schoolers (sixth through eighth grade) meet Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the gym, with a Snack Shack that sells pizza, drinks, chips, and candy. Sunday morning small groups for students meet at 9:15 AM. High school students (ninth through twelfth grade) gather Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the gym for fellowship, biblical teaching, worship, and small groups. At the Bremen campus, students meet Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.
Midway Young Adults is designed for the years after high school. Its vision is "young adults follow Jesus, find their people, and discover their purpose." Connect Night meets every Monday at 6:30 PM at the Villa Rica campus and includes worship, teaching, and a chance to build community. Life Groups and serving opportunities round out the experience for young adults looking to grow in faith and find their place.
Worship, Music, and a Voice for the Local Church
Midway Worship Ministries exists "to connect our congregation to the heart of God through praise and worship." Auditioned worship team members and production volunteers serve at multiple weekly services across both campuses. The team publishes a downloadable worship handbook that explains the church's theology and expectations for volunteer leaders.
Beyond leading Sunday worship, Midway Worship birthed Midway Music, a collective of artists from the West Georgia worship community formed in 2016. The group records live and studio projects, including the "Songs for the House" albums and the "This Is Love" EP, to "join people of all races, cultures, and ages together in honest and passionate expressions of worship." Songs stream on Spotify, and albums are available on Apple Music.
Life Groups and the Discipleship Pathway
Midway teaches that "discipleship best happens in relationships." Life Groups meet in person, online, and in hybrid formats across the area and throughout the week. Anyone interested in leading or hosting a group can sign up to be equipped through the church's leader resources.
For those who prefer a self-paced approach, the Discipleship Pathway is a three-step online curriculum: Encounter Jesus, Live Like Jesus, and Lead Like Jesus. Each step is self-paced, and a church team is available to answer questions along the way. RightNow Media, a streaming library of more than 20,000 discipleship videos for kids, youth, and adults, is offered free to attenders.
Life Enhancement Classes: A Year-Round Curriculum
Each semester, Midway offers a wide slate of Life Enhancement Classes, topical studies that range from foundational Bible teaching to recovery support. On Sundays, "Foundations" introduces the core beliefs of the Christian faith across eight stand-alone sessions, ideal for new believers and newcomers. "Experiencing God," based on Henry Blackaby's classic thirteen-week material, runs on Sunday mornings as well.
Monday evenings host a deeper menu. DivorceCare walks participants through a twelve-week journey. Living Sober is a Christ-centered recovery group that meets weekly. Loving An Addict provides a supportive community for those walking alongside someone in addiction. "There Is Light" gathers caregivers and family members of those struggling with mental, emotional, or behavioral health conditions. Other Monday classes include "The Bible Was Not Written to You," a thirteen-week Scripture overview; "Walking From Shame," a men's study on sexual integrity; Financial Peace University; "Biblical Manhood," an eight-week men's study; and "Faith Inspired Retirement Planning" for those approaching the next life stage.
Tuesdays bring "Boundaries," an online eleven-week study based on the book by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend. Wednesdays add GriefShare, "Living with Anxiety and Depression," and "Godly Dating and Marriage in an Un-Godly Culture." At the Bremen campus, "Women of Valor" meets Monday evenings as a women's discipleship journey. Childcare is offered for most classes.
Counseling, Prayer, and Pastoral Care
Midway Lifeline Counseling offers Bible-based, Christ-centered counseling on an as-available basis for spiritual, relational, and emotional concerns. Sessions can be scheduled by calling 770.658.0216 or through the online appointment widget. Online counseling is also available for those who cannot visit in person.
The Prayer Room, located near the southside Worship Center doors by the Starting Point Wall, is open whenever the facilities are available and offers communion elements and prayer guides. A Prayer Team of dozens of volunteers prays over submitted requests, using the A.C.T.S. model (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Special Request). Joy Ministry engages seasoned adults age 60 and beyond in service throughout the church. Pastoral Care celebrates with families in joyful times and walks alongside them in loss.
Lifeline Mission and a Globally Minded Church
Lifeline Mission is the church's food ministry, a drive-thru operation that distributes food every Monday from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and every Tuesday from 8:00 to 11:00 AM. As the church describes it, the goal is to "feed the hungry and minister to the soul."
Midway partners with more than forty missions organizations locally, nationally, and globally. Through the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program, the church helps support over 5,000 missionaries in 127 nations. Mission partners include the Pregnancy Resource Center, West Georgia Prison Ministry, Kids Peace, Truth In Nature, West GA FCA, Multiministries South Africa, Operation Mobilization Morocco, The Blake House, Caribbean Ministries Association Eleuthera, Connect Church New Orleans, Fearless 271, and Builders For Christ, among others. Short-term mission trips are organized each year through the church's trip portal.
Building for Generations: The NEXT Campaign
Midway's NEXT initiative is a two-year "one fund" generosity effort with two goals. The primary goal is 100% participation: every attender stepping into "gospel-driven, surrendered generosity." The secondary goal is $22 million, split between $12 million for the ongoing Midway Mission budget and $10 million toward a planned building expansion. The expansion will enlarge preschool and elementary facilities, create dedicated space for the Special Needs Ministry and for preteen, student, and young adult worship and groups, double adult classrooms, add a cafe and resource area, and convert current offices into the Lifeline Community Resource Center.
All giving flows into a single fund that supports both the annual ministry budget and the building project. Commitment cards and a downloadable NEXT Campaign Journal are available for those who want to pray through the decision.
What Midway Believes
Midway Church is part of the Southern Baptist Convention. The church has structured its beliefs around what it calls "salvation essentials" - non-negotiables required for membership - and "unity essentials" - non-salvation issues where the church commits to a unified position while granting liberty to those who hold differing views.
Salvation essentials include belief in one true God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ; the full divinity of the Holy Spirit; the Bible as God's inspired, true, and trustworthy Word; the church as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers; salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; the ordinances of believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper; the priesthood of every believer; the personal and visible return of Jesus Christ; the creation of humanity in God's image; the reality of eternal heaven and hell; and faithful stewardship through tithing and offerings.
Unity essentials include spiritual gifts, eternal security, baptism and the Lord's Supper, end times, and stewardship. The church teaches that salvation is eternally secure through the seal of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) and that differing views on issues such as Calvinism and Arminianism can co-exist when the focus is the mission Christ gave His Church. On spiritual gifts, Midway commits to unity by not promoting or teaching the gift of tongues, while affirming that God does miracles and empowers believers by the Holy Spirit.
Ten core values shape daily ministry: a passion for God and His Word; family as God's building block; every human matters; meeting people where they are; cultural diversity as strength; leading by serving; multiplying rather than maintaining; living big through generosity; fighting for unity; and striving for integrity.