1995 Gil and Lottie Barrington

Gil and Lottie both had health challenges with Gil having the greatest of those. I am not sure how old they were when I met them or when I last saw them. They moved closer to their kids because of Gil’s health.

A young couple also met them. The couple was very young in marriage and like so many of us was buying a used washer and dryer. Gil and Lottie were sweet, kind and loving even when they were selling their washer and the young couple noticed the difference.

The young man wasn’t too far out of college with a mechanical degree and both of them were working just to get by. They had no children and really nothing in common with Gil and Lottie whose children were probably older than they.

Somewhere during the transaction, Gil and Lottie followed their big hearts and decided to make sure that this young couple were believers and they asked, “Do you go to church anywhere?”

“Yes sir. We go to Orange Hill Baptist Church.”

“That’s great. We go to Northwest Church in Acworth. It is a great church full of great people. If you are ever over this way, you ought to stop by,” then Gill followed with directions and more bragging about his home.

The transaction was closed and this unlikely, unplanned, unscheduled event began to have an impact unknown to man. The young couple was indeed looking for a church closer to home! They had moved over the Acworth way and were driving too far to keep going to their home church. The loving, interested, excited invitation of Gil and Lottie resulted in a visit to Northwest (where Gil and Lottie remembered them) and the young couple never left. In fact, the Church would not be what it is without that young couple. God used them as He shaped the face of the ministry. Their impact has been incredible. The husband has grown into a leader among leaders. His talents and skills have been used by God in incredible ways. His wife is the perfect compliment to him and to the women.

Can you imagine serving God all these years without Eric and D’Anna Miller? You don’t have to because of God and His wonderful servants Gil and Lottie Barrington. They understood the value of a great church. They wanted to make sure that people knew Christ and knew that their church was there if they had a need. Indeed many of us had needs that were greeted by the love and kindness of Gil and Lottie. They were so happy to go to Northwest and they served at Northwest. It was their home. Gil and Lottie wanted everyone to find what they found. A full life in a wonderful church actually doing something that God wanted them to do that benefited the world. Gil and Lottie helped so many of us – hopefully, we honor their legacy. Gil and Lottie were not only servants, in love with God and loving the Church – they were, in their passion, the very mouthpieces of God to a world that needs Him.