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Everybody is Welcome at Magnolia.
For over 100 years, Magnolia has served as a Progressive Witness of Jesus Christ in Statesboro and Bulloch County. At Magnolia, you find yourself in a warm, welcoming environment where you can experience real folks abiding in Community, loving each other, and loving God. We are a small congregation in a rural setting with convenient parking located near the front entrance for our first-time guests. Our Magnolia Ushers will be glad to help you find a seat for the worship service.
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Beyond hospitality, Magnolia is committed to being Christian stewards of love. As such, we practice love, build the beloved community, and pursue social justice. We believe the overwhelming message of the Bible, in story after story, is that of God's radical love and welcome. Every time we think we know who's in and who's out, God does something to challenge those assumptions, unbind our hearts and minds from old ways of understanding, and draw the circle ever wider.
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Our doors are wide open to people from all backgrounds, regardless of where they are on their spiritual journey. Together, we are striving to become a place where there's relevant teaching, heartfelt worship, honest friendships, constant prayer, and compassionate care. So whether you are a spiritual seeker who is just starting to ask questions about God or a committed Christian who wants to sink the roots of your faith even deeper, you can find a home here at Magnolia!
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Enjoy Connection
THROUGH WORSHIP | Sunday services begin at 9:45 am. Before Worship, there is an engaging Sunday School that starts promptly at 9:00 am on the First, Second, and Third Sundays. Learn More.
THROUGH STUDY | Sunday School for all ages is on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am. Additionally, there is a Morning Devotion every Wednesday at 6:30 am. Just dial 717.908.1726 and use Passcode 1065315# to participate. Learn More.
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THROUGH SERVICE | One of Magnolia's most important values is our mission to the Statesboro community. Magnolia's members are involved in a variety of church-based ministries and community partnerships. Feel free to contact our church office at (912) 225-3151 or via email with further questions. Learn more.
Impact Through Ministry​
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As we begin the year under the theme #Rooted2Rise, January invites us to look beneath the surface of our lives. The Apostle Paul teaches in Colossians 2:6–7 that a flourishing faith is formed over time. We are called to be rooted and built up in Christ, established before we expand, so that our lives remain steady and resilient even in shifting seasons and revolutionary times.
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Spiritual discipline is not about rigid rule-keeping or control. It is about shaping a life ordered by love, justice, and freedom. Jesus made the foundation unmistakably clear in Mark 12:30–31. We are to love the Lord our God with our whole self, heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. These are not abstract ideals. They are rules for daily living that shape how we pray, how we speak, how we forgive, and how we show up for one another and for the world God so loves.
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January’s Root Check calls us to honest reflection. What anchors us when life feels uncertain? What habits nurture our spirits rather than drain them? How prayer, Scripture, and service deepen our roots so that we can rise with courage, clarity, and purpose.
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Seven Ways We Practice Rooted Living
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Daily prayer, creating space to listen for God’s voice.
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Scripture reading, allowing the Word to form our thinking and guide our choices.
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Fasting, releasing distractions so our focus can be renewed.
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Service, loving our neighbors through acts of justice and compassion.
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Generosity, trusting God by giving faithfully.
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Community accountability, walking the journey together.
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Sabbath rest, honoring our limits, and receiving God’s grace.
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This season of recommitment unfolds alongside the national observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, reminding us that spiritual discipline and public witness belong together. Inspired by the faith and courage of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, we remember that a life rooted in love must rise in action for justice, dignity, and peace.
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In January 2026, beyond our worship services, Magnolia will live this calling both spiritually and publicly. We will participate in the following:
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Sunshine Cafe at the Statesboro Food Bank on January 6, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
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Behold, A Night of Poetry on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at the Averitt Center at 7:00 p.m.
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Youth Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at the Williams Center, Georgia Southern University, at 8:00 a.m.
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King Parade on Monday, January 19, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
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Community Observance Program at Elm Street Church of God at 1:00 p.m., featuring Pastor Johnson as the Keynote Speaker.
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As we fast, pray, remember, and serve together, we deepen our roots in faith and love. And as we do, we prepare not simply to endure the year ahead, but to rise grounded, faithful, and free, bearing fruit that blesses our community and honors God.​
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Throughout January, we are #Rooted2Rise by Growing from the Ground Up!
About Community
The Magnolia Missionary Baptist Church of Statesboro, Georgia, was organized on March 18, 1914. The pioneers of this Church journeyed from the Magnolia Missionary Baptist Church of Louisville, Georgia in search of a better life for their families. Magnolia of Louisville was organized on May 17, 1868, after the Civil War, but before the ratification of the 14th Amendment, which extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people.
For more than 100 years, this Church has stood as a physical representation of the hope and determination of the African American spirit. Magnolia has always served people through its Watch, Witness, and Worship.
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At Magnolia, all our resources are utilized to provide a Christ-centered setting where people in this community can be redeemed to a personal relationship with Christ, reconciled to God and his people, restored to wholeness, to well-being, and revived for a full life involved in service to others.
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At Magnolia, everyone is welcomed and affirmed!
Show Your Pride
Show your Magnolia pride wherever you go! Visit The Magnolia Shop to browse exclusive shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, and other items that celebrate our church’s spirit of faith, service, and community.
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We are proud to partner with Black- and minority-owned businesses to source, produce, and distribute our products — keeping our ministry rooted in economic justice and community empowerment. Every purchase supports the ministries and mission of Magnolia Baptist Church.
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A CHARGE TO KEEP I HAVE
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Magnolia Missionary Baptist Church is well served by the Reverend Dr. Francys Johnson. The pulpit of Sweet Magnolia has long provided community-wide leadership.
Over the last 26 years, Dr. Johnson has also exemplified the values of Christian service with humility before the Mount Moriah Baptist Church congregation of Pembroke. First Lady Meca Williams-Johnson’s particular success in youth programming and academic mentoring are assets to the ministries of Magnolia. Further, they are ambassadors of our faith community to the region and nation.