In 1961 a mail carrier and pastor of a very small church attended a Sword of the Lord Conference, got on fire, gave up his route and set out to build a great soul-winning work for God. Forrest Hills Baptist Church of Decatur, Georgia, grew from 40 people into a membership of 7,900.
In 1972 the church was recognized as the fastest-growing Sunday school in America; and the last four years of his pastorate there, the Sunday school was recognized as the largest one in Georgia.