DUNNELLON (FBW)—Virginia Tebby wants to be sure the residents of her hometown of Dunnellon know that Jesus loves them, and the 95-year-old has chosen to point others to Jesus through the F.A.I.T.H. evangelism strategy at First Baptist Church.

Tebby made a first-time commitment to Christ in 1937 at a Baptist church in East St. Louis, Ill. While she was married to a non-Christian, her Christian commitment waned during the “war years,” she said.

After her husband, Henry, died, and her son, Lawrence, was grown, she moved from Illinois to Florida with her mother and brother, both in ill health. They built a home in Dunnellon in 1963.

“I love this little town,” Tebby said.

Although she had attended First Baptist Church since moving to Dunnellon, she doubted her spiritual health. A discussion in her Sunday School class on heaven and assurance of salvation spurred her to re-commit to the Lord.

“I was not really sure about my salvation, and I wanted to do something about it. The Lord drew me to this decision,” Tebby said. “I just knew I wanted to get out of that pew and go forward.

“I didn’t know if I was saved, but I do know it now,” she said.

Not long after her baptism in 2003, the church leadership introduced F.A.I.T.H. during a Sunday School banquet. Tebby and a friend attended “because we were curious,” she said. Tebby found in the evangelism strategy a perfect fit for sharing her faith. She attended every training session and “has not missed a beat in participating in visitation,” said Rob Morrison, minister of music and education at First Baptist church, Dunnellon.

“It has been a blessing for our whole church to have a senior adult involved in soul-winning,” Morrison said.

Although most of Dunnellon’s 18 F.A.I.T.H. teams are centered in Sunday School classes, Tebby visits with Sunday School substitute teacher Dick Kurner and pastor Bob Brooks, who calls Tebby “one of the greatest blessings in my 25 years of ministry.”

“Many seniors see retirement as time to retire from Christian service and sit comfortably in the church pew. However, Virginia, at 95, is still excited about the prospect of being used by God and is willing to take part and participate in our church ministries,” Brooks said. “She is an encouragement to me.”

Tebby told Florida Baptist Witness her favorite part of the F.A.I.T.H. strategy is when “you visit and re-visit someone and then they come to church.”

I just love all of it,” she said.

In line with her personal policy of “being sure,” Tebby is attending her second F.A.I.T.H. training session, while never missing a Monday visitation. Tebby lives alone and drives. She volunteers at the American Legion kitchen and with Disabled Veterans of America.

“I’m just glad I’m still able to do all of this,” she said.