5 minute read
Restoring Faith, Building Families, and Impacting Communities: Greater Refuge Ministries
from October 2022
Pastor Terri Mayes
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Dr. Terri L. Mayes is the daughter of Rosa and the late Joe Ragland. She is the wife of John Mayes and the mother of Russell, Tiffany, Taylor, and the late Taurance Hurst. She is also the bonus mother of Johnny, Chad, and Shane. Following a near death experience in 1994, Dr. Mayes committed her life to Christ and became what she likes to call “saved for real.” Dr. Mayes became an active member and leader of several different ministries and organizations under the leadership of Pastor James B. Jewell. After years of dedicated service to the ministry, and upon the acceptance of the call on her life to preach the Gospel, Dr. Mayes became a Licensed Minister in 1999, a Youth Pastor in 2003, an Assistant Pastor in 2005, and an Ordained Evangelist in September 2009. Dr. Mayes received her Master’s degrees in the areas of Theology and Sacred Studies, followed by her Doctorate of Theology in 2012 from Christian Life Educational Network in Columbus, Georgia. She was called as interim Pastor to A Place of Refuge in October 2009 and was installed as Senior Pastor and Founder of Greater Refuge Ministries in April 2010.
Greater Refuge Ministries
Greater Refuge Ministries follows a threefold vision— restoring faith, building families, and impacting communities— through worship services and outreach. Greater Refuge Ministries fosters family relationships through their Men’s Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Marriage Ministry, Counseling Services, and Youth and Teen Ministries, including North Broad Youth Center. North Broad Youth Center is an afterschool program that operates as an extended day learning center for students. They are supported by Berry College and student volunteers, along with individuals in the community. The students are called Rising Stars because the programming is centered around Science, Technology, Arts, Reading, and Social Skills. Along with academic programming, the center also provides Spiritual, Mental, Physical, Social, and
Emotional instruction and support. Although Dr. Mayes and the congregation of Greater Refuge Ministries is rooted in the Rome community, they strive to reach communities near and far through international programs.
International Ministry: Ghana, West Africa
In 1999, Dr. Mayes traveled to Ghana, West Africa, for her first international missionary journey. The needs of the people were so overwhelming and convicting that Dr. Mayes returned home to co-found Mission 2000: An African Relief Project with her Senior Pastor James B. Jewell. The following year she returned with a team of fourteen so that they too could experience true ministry for themselves. After being offered a bucket of contaminated water to bathe with each morning, Dr. Mayes was heartbroken, and came home more determined than ever to see the vision of Mission 2000 fulfilled. Dr. Mayes and Greater Refuge Ministries has successfully ministered to, fed monthly, and built wells in 17 villages. Each village population ranges from 900-2,800 people each.
The initial thought was to return every year to offer outreach and ministry opportunities to the natives by hosting revivals and feeding programs. But in wisdom and through divine inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, Dr. Mayes fine tuned the vision. Thus, redefining the goals of the organization. Dr. Mayes decided that the $3,000 used per person for travel, lodging, food, and vaccinations would be better suited to serve the people. As a result, Mission 2000 has partnered with Missionary Kofi Boakye and a team of faithful members from their partner church Come Preach Christ Fellowship stationed in Kumasi, Ghana. This team travels to the Northern regions monthly to provide necessary food, clothing, medical supplies, construction needs, and monetary donations. But most importantly, they are taught the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Following the opening of their seventeenth well, Missionary Boakye contacted Dr. Mayes to allow her to speak with one of the Elders that was almost 90 years old in the Northern Villages. The women simply wanted to know why God loved her enough to answer the prayers that her village had been praying for her entire life. All they desired was clean water and to not have to drink the water along with the animals. For all those years, this village had never had access to clean water. Facts such as these can be echoed throughout the Northern regions of Ghana. They call Dr. Mayes an angel sent by God. “Their struggles are more devastating than I could have ever imagined. Had I not seen it for myself, it would have been hard to believe that they are still living in mud huts with thatched roofs. But through it all, our ministry work has made them believe and understand how much God truly loves them,” said Dr. Mayes.
Giving Thanks
After two decades of solely sustaining this program, Greater Refuge Ministries is excited that other local churches and individuals have seen and now understand the desperation of our international Christ-loving brothers and sisters. To see the faces and praises of thankfulness to God generated by the people in these villages makes it very difficult not to do all that can be done to provide as many water wells as possible! Along with providing ministry for her church for the past twelve years and heading their international ministry, Dr. Mayes has not forgotten that there is still much work to do at home.
Dr. Mayes understands that it truly takes a village. Not only would she like to mention her loving husband—a 16-year County Commissioner, entrepreneur, and church leader—but also their children who have supported her. “They have been so loving and patient. I thank God for each of them. They all hold a special place in my heart, and they have truly helped to make me the woman of God that I am today,” said Dr. Mayes.
Dr. Mayes’ passion is to reach out and encourage individuals to move beyond their past and present problems and realize that as long as there is Life, there is Hope. If you would like to get involved or learn more about Greater Refuge Ministries, check out their website at greaterrefuge.org or call Dr. Mayes at (706)-346-0378.
