This seven-year-old congregation of 500 has been in its current building for just four years, but they anticipate enlarging the building and starting no less than six outreach programs as well several in-house.

A handful of members of another congregation decided in 1991 that their needs and ideals would be better met elsewhere and began meeting in a home. The group quickly grew and they ended up meeting the next four years in a restaurant, an old theater and in a retail space behind a chicken restaurant.

The group had purchased 20 acres on South Jeff Davis Drive and held the first church service in its very own building in December 1995.

River's Edge has established as its purpose, "...to celebrate our faith in Jesus Christ through worship that is saint satisfying and seeker sensitive; to build relationships for reasons of the Gospel; to grow spiritually and numerically; to give with generosity and cheerfulness to support the work of the church; and, to develop and implement effective programs and ministries that exalt the Lord Jesus Christ."

To demonstrate this belief, the church has a viable Spanish membership with the Sunday morning services with those members being able to hear the sermon in Spanish. A Sunday School class is also taught in Spanish.

Other extensions of its purpose can be seen in the support of a small, growing black church in DeKalb County; support of a Campus Crusade ministry in Uganda; evangelical efforts in the Yucatan; the support of training of indigenous ministries in Europe; and supporting the Southern Baptist Missions in its cooperative program.

Overseeing these efforts is the senior minister, Dr. John Hatcher. The Rev. Sam Calleiro serves as senior associate pastor; the Rev. Ray Walker is the associate for worship/students; the Rev. Neil Norman is associate for children/family ministries and the Rev. Abner Calleiro serves as the associate for Spanish ministries.

Dr. Hatcher was born in Colquitt, Ga., and reared in Columbus, Ga.

He was a 1969 graduate of the University of Georgia, with a degree in political science. Even though he felt the call to the ministry at the age of 10, he decided to pursue other things initially. After college he was a writer for the Columbus Ledger & Enquirer, was a federal program coordinator for the Sumter County School System, and served two years in the Army as a writer.

Eventually he realized that he could no longer ignore the calling in his soul and graduated with a Master of Divinity at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky., in 1975. After serving churches in Florida, North Carolina, California, and Alabama, he was called to a church in Fayetteville. He completed his Doctorate of Ministry in 1988.

He has been married to Mary Ann since 1974, (they met in Kentucky) and they are the parents of Anna, 14.

Sunday morning services are held at 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., with Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. On Wednesday evening, Bible classes are held for all ages, beginning at 6:30 p.m.