Thomasville, GA - On October 14, 2025, Pastor Johnny Hobbs took flight on wings of glory to his eternal home in Heaven! It was this destination he had preached about all his life, and the place he longed for most in life. Pastor Johnny was preceded in death by his father, John Felton Hobbs, in 1983, his mother, Ellen White Hobbs Green, in August 2025, and his younger brother, Randy Hobbs, in 2025.

Pastor Johnny was born into humble beginnings, by Dr. Sim Sanchez in his famous medical clinic in Barwick, GA, on October 18, 1949. Life was a blessed struggle for his 17 year old mom, Joyce Hobbs, and 19 year old dad, John Hobbs. But, with perseverance, grit and lots of determination this young family carved out their niche in life, adding another child three years later, named Randy.

Hard work and church were the cornerstones of this family, and father John Hobbs taught first Colburn, then Randy a sound work ethic at an early age. Pastor Johnny learned early on the importance of church and serving others. At age 9, Pastor Johnny gave his life to Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, and in his own words, "I never looked back." "Church was the most important part of my life," he was fond of reminding everyone. I was a Sunbeam at age 5 and 6, then became a Royal Ambassador (R.A.) at age 7, and at age 12 was in the Sword Drill for our church, also representing our Association in the Regional tournament. Later at age 16, I became our Association's winner of the "Better Speakers Tournament" for high school Seniors, and Freshman and Sophomore college students." It was during that So. Georgia speaker's competition, which he won, that Pastor Johnny first heard the Lord speak to him. In the middle of his speech, audible words of "Feed My Sheep" rang in his ears. Over the next 60 years plus, after he became an ordained minister at age 16, Pastor Johnny often heard the "voice of the Lord", and it was one of Pastor Johnny's sustaining strengths for all his life as a pastor.

Over his lifetime as a servant and pastor, Brother Hobbs served 7 churches as pastor, and also did two year long interim pastorates. His pastoral notes show that he was privileged to baptize more than 1100 individuals, preach more than 5000 sermons, conduct more than 75 Revivals, and preached 214 funeral services in his lifetime! In 2003, in the new church he established in Mitchell County, his church Lighthouse Community Church, baptized 124 individuals in one year and was recognized by the Georgia Baptist Convention as having the most baptisms in one year for a church with a membership under 500. One of Pastor Johnny's most prized earthly possessions was a personal letter he received from Dr. Billy Graham congratulating him on the achievement.

One of Pastor Johnny's greatest delights was working with his young people. From his first assignment as assistant youth pastor at First Baptist in Quitman, Georgia, until he breathed his last breath, he was always teaching, directing and mentoring young people. They were his heartbeat. Pastor Johnny was fond of saying, "The good Lord didn't bless me to be an earthly father, so I just adopted all the young people in all my churches as my children and poured myself into them."

During an extended time of extreme loneliness and depression following his divorce, Pastor Johnny left for the mountains of N. Georgia, where he said, "I was hoping to find my purpose again." It was there that a long-lost friend, Denise Aspinwall, called to ask Pastor Johnny to perform a funeral service for a young man he had led to the Lord and baptized several years earlier. That phone call and that funeral service led to a renewal of friendship, and less than two years later a marriage that sustained them both for the remainder of their lives. Pastor Johnny told everyone about Denise, "she saved my life!" Through thick and thin, ups and downs, and lots of sickness and physical disability toward the end of their lives, they never left each other's sides, and they continually thanked the Lord for the phone call that brought them together.

A wonderful Celebration of Life will be held at The Gathering Church on Saturday - October 25, 2025 at 11:00 am with Rev. Michael Davis and Denise Hobbs officiating.