MISSION AND HISTORY OF CELEBRATION BAPTIST CHURCH OF LEESBURG FL
Celebration Baptist Church was launched in January 2018 by a group of committed Christ-followers who had a desire to create a place where loving and caring friends help each other grow in God’s grace in Leesburg, FL
We believe each time we gather is a time of “Celebration” of what God is doing in and through us. Those who attend for the first time are amazed at the genuineness of how they are greeted and received. Celebration is the perfect place for people who are not perfect or people who have given up on church but not on God.
CHURCH LEADERSHIP
PASTOR: George Thomas, and his wife, Melany, have served together in ministry for more than 50-years. They have been Pastor of three great church ministries. They have 4-children and 8-grandchildren. Both of their sons serve in full-time ministry in other states. George is an avid Tennessee Volunteer Fan.
George attended Tennessee Temple University and Temple Baptist Theological Seminary. He has a degree in Biblical Preaching and a minor in Psychology. In 1986, Heritage Baptist University bestowed on him an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity.
George & Melany have served on the Patient Advisory Board of South Lake Hospital in Clermont, FL., and the Corporate Patient Advisory Board for Orlando Health. Both have a passion for building strong marriages and developing fully devoted followers of Christ. Melany has a great heart for mentoring ladies of all ages. Her wisdom from years in ministry, as a wife, mother, and grandmother is valuable in guiding ladies through the heartaches and burdens of life. Melany is now heading up our new Celebration Thrift Store.
CHURCH COUNCIL: Our leadership structure operates with a 5-Member Council that serves as overseers of the operation of the church business.
DEACONS: Our Deacons serve the church in various ministries, including Deacon Care Ministry, Baptism, Communion, Benevolence, Widows, Prayer Initiative, Bereavement, and more.
STEWARDSHIP: The Stewardship team serves as the church's financial oversight team, reviewing and approving budget expenditures.
2026 LEADERSHIP TEAM
Church Council
Bill Detschel, Chairman
Brad Carmean, Vice Chairman & Secretary
Marvin Geiger, Treasurer
Tom Katsanis, Deacon Chairman
Randy Wilson, Stewardship Chairman
Stewardship Team
Randy Wilson, Chairman
Tony Krzic, Vice Chairman
Linda Colburn
Lorraine Klepper
Laura Burton
Deacons & Yokebearers
Tom Katsanis, Chairman Deacons
Gerry Yearack, Vice Chairman Deacon.
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Yokebearers: Bill Kolbe, Hal Urban, Bob Spears, Wes Weiss
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Fred Stacy, Secretary Deacon.
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Yokebearer: Dwayne Heape, Pedro Ramos, Don Hassler
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Tom Galinski, Deacon.
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Yokebearers: JIm Carpenter, Larry Carpenter, John Turquand
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Keith Sefton, Deacon,
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Yokebearers: Jeff Brady, Eric Kachur, Bill Reamer
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Ric Williams, Deacon.
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Yokebearers: Bill Stevens, Dick Babcock, Gene Wall, Ken Lyons
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OUR BELIEFS
GOD:
We believe that there is one God who exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
JESUS:
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, was born of a virgin, was wholly God and wholly man, lived a sinless life, died in our place as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind was buried, arose bodily from the grave, and ascended into Heaven.
CHRIST'S RETURN:
We believe that Jesus Christ will literally return to earth.
HOLY SPIRIT:
We believe that God the Holy Spirit is active in convincing unbelievers of their need for salvation, and is the Comforter and Guide Who lives in every believer.
BIBLE:
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God without any error, the sole authority for life and faith.
MAN:
We believe that man is a special creation of God, made in His image, but that through the sin of the first man, Adam, mankind fell so that all men are sinners and need salvation.
SALVATION:
We believe that salvation is a gift received through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
ASSURANCE:
We believe that every person who is truly saved is eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ.
ETERNITY:
We believe that those persons who die in their sins without Christ spend eternity in Hell
and those persons who die with their sins forgiven through Christ spend eternity in Heaven.
BAPTISM:
We believe that water baptism is an act of obedience to Christ's command and is done by immersion after salvation.
CHURCH:
We believe that the church is a local body of baptized believers with the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head.
PRAYER:
We believe that each believer has direct access to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
GOVERNMENT:
We believe in the separation of church and state, but not in separation of God and government.
Christians are salt and light in society.