AYERS RECALLED AS 'AWESOME MAN OF GOD'

One of the late Rev. Jonathan Ayers’ best friends says drug agents
were mistaken when they went after him last week in Toccoa.

“I’m certain that the things that have happened have all been a
mistake,” said Daniel Parker, who served as senior pastor of Baldwin
Baptist Church when Ayers served there as youth pastor.

Ayers, 28-year-old senior pastor of Shoal Creek Baptist Church near
Lavonia, died a short time after an NCIS (Narcotics Criminal
Investigation and Suppression ) opened fire on his car in a
convenience store parking lot at the corner of Broad and Currahee streets.

“Jonathan was just a man of incredible character,” Parker said.
“Everybody loved him. I know you hear that a lot, but once you met
him, you loved him.”

Ayers’ and Parker’s relationship was very close, even after the two
left Baldwin Baptist Church.

“He was probably the best friend I ever had,” Parker said. “He was
truly like a brother to me.”

Parker said that even though he hadn’t known Ayers all that long –
“probably three years” – the two were extremely close and, in fact,
talked on the phone for about 30 minutes on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

“He was on top of the world,” Parker said. “He was telling me all
about what was going on with his church. People were getting saved and
it was growing.”

On Sept. 1, Ayers “was getting tires put on his car for his wife,”
Parker said.

Parker said that when Ayers was called to preach at Shoal Creek
Baptist Church, the congregation had 15-20 members.

On Sunday, Aug. 30, high attendance day, there were 73 in attendance.

“He had just returned from a mission trip in Africa,” Parker said.
“Over 300 people got saved. He led that trip with his church. It was
his first mission trip and the first mission trip for his church. That
was just a few weeks ago – maybe a month ago.”

“He loved the Lord Jesus,” Parker said. “He lived out his Christian
walk. I can’t say enough good things about him. He was the kind of guy
who would do whatever he could to help you, that would give you what
you needed and never complain about it.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever known a greater man,” Parker said of
Ayers.

“I tried, just because of my position, to be a mentor to him, but so
many times I’d end up learning from him,” an emotional Parker said.

“We worked together for about a year and a half,” Parker said. “I was
the one who basically hired him on.”

“He was always fun to be with,” Parker said. “He loved to have fun,
loved to laugh. I loved serving with him there [at Baldwin Baptist],
working with him there.”

“I know his wife, Abby, is heartbroken,” Parker said. “She hasn’t just
lost her husband or the father of her child. She’s lost her best
friend – I know she feels that way. She and Jonathan were best friends.”

“This is just such a tragedy really,” Parker said.

Ayers had been at Shoal Creek for a little more than a year.