Grandma's Hands

As a kid growing up in middle Georgia, Banks Brazell was accustomed to elaborate Southern meals prepared by his grandmother.

But there's one dinner in 1986 that he'll never forget. To this day, he can describe it in detail: Fried chicken, biscuits, cornbread, creamed corn, crowder peas and sliced tomatoes.

On Oct. 7, 1986, Brazell had gone to court on a DUI charge and went to his grandparents' house after leaving the Meriwether County courthouse.

"My PawPaw 'felt impressed' to pray for me," he said. "He called MoMo (Brazell's grandmother) to the TV room downstairs, and as soon as she laid hands on my head, she erupted into prayer, and somewhere in that powerful and tearful time, I gave my life to Jesus. After calling my parents, and talking some, about 45 minutes later we went back upstairs and ate."

It wasn't until five years later that he realized how important that meal really was.

Brazell was a student pastor serving three small United Methodist churches in LaGrange, and was driving his grandmother to a revival service. She was telling him how proud she was that he was a preacher.

And he learned it was a miracle that the house didn't burn down that October day in 1986. She had left all the food cooking on the stovetop and the bread under the broiler in the oven when she was called downstairs. What she thought was going to be just a couple minutes turned into 45. And nothing burned. The chicken and veggies were still simmering on top of the stove. The bread was still under the broiler.   

"I didn't know it then," Brazell said, "but even at the beginning God was showing me, 'I'm big enough to handle anything that's going on.' He wasn't going to let a grease fire get in the way."

That promise has carried him through many hardships in life.

Brazell graduated from Auburn University with a degree in building science in 1977. He spent 10 years in construction, building malls, hospitals and motels. He developed an interest in sky diving, got married and opened a sky diving drop zone called FreeFall Ranch in Warm Springs in 1986.

After the Lord caught him in the midst of his own personal free fall, he enrolled at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, where he graduated cum laude in 1994.

Brazell was appointed to Mt. Bethel UMC in Marietta, then went to Monroe First UMC in 2001. Two years later, he felt it was time to move to another Methodist church.

After wrestling with that decision and trying to convince everyone he was doing the right thing, God got his attention the first Monday in April.

"At 4:30 a.m. the Holy Spirit woke me up," Brazell said. "I heard, 'It’s time to go' in my head. I go to my study, wrap a prayer shawl around my head and proceeded to tell God that he didn't understand Methodist church polity; that I have been talked out of being on the 'move list.' Then I basically ignored him the rest of the day."

The next morning, he was awakened at 4:08. And the third morning at 4:12. That time, he couldn't ignore the message.

"It was literally like God was sitting on me or his hand was pressing me an inch and a half into the mattress," Brazell said. "I heard him say again, 'It's time to go.' "

Brazell listened. He left Monroe and took a leave of absence. During that time, he formed a 501(c)3 nonprofit misson and hoped for a Methodist appointment to that ministry. When that didn't happen, he said he heard God say again: "It's time to go."

It wasn't a popular move. His counterparts used words like "insane" to describe what he was doing. But he left the Methodist church in search of God's will for his life. 

"Over the years," Brazell said, "everybody had been after me to start a church. But I didn’t want to. I never wanted to. But when I hung up the phone on my last conversation with the Methodist hierarchy, I felt God say, 'You will start a church.' "

On Feb. 29, 2004, he led the first worship service at . After meeting in a funeral home for 18 months, the congregation moved into and renovated office space in Hickory Flat. About three dozen worship regularly on Sundays.

"Everyone here is non-judgmental, open and loving, and dedicated to becoming the most solid disciple of Jesus they can be," said Brazell, who has been a part of churches with six to 6,000 members.

Wednesday prayer meetings are powerful sessions, and often attract folks who drive almost an hour to attend.

"We are open to God's presence in those meetings, and often see people's lives changed through healing and a deeper relationship with God that leads to wholeness," he said.

In 2008, Brazell endured the suicide of his son, Kenneth.

"I had no choice but to plunge into a deeper and stronger relationship with Jesus," he said. "Kenneth’s death rocked the family, AllPoints Church, and the entire Hickory Flat community. But we have all come though it stronger and with deeper roots in the faith than we would have ever had otherwise."

ABOUT REV. BRAZELL

Hobbies: The pastor spends time with his sons, playing baseball and fishing. Working in the yard gives him a chance to get work done and unwind, "relax and talk to Jesus."

Family: Brazell and wife Kendra have been married 16½ years and have three sons. 

ABOUT THE CHURCH

AllPoints Community Church is at 6488 Hickory Flat Hwy. Sunday worship begins at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday prayer meetings are held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information, call 678-493-3430 or go to www.allpointschurch.com.