Atlanta - Maranatha SDA Church

Maranatha welcomes our new senior Pastor, Drake P. Barber and his family who hails to us from St. Paul, Minnesota.  Pastor Barber first accepted Christ in1973, and has been serving the Lord ever since.  He heeded the call of the Lord to go into ministry and attended Oakwood University, where he served two years in Indonesia as a Student Missionary.

In 1982, Pastor Barber was hired to work as a Gospel Servant in the South Atlantic Conference vineyard.  He and his family have served in various states for the past thirty-six years. They have ministered in South Carolina in the cities of Greenwood, Anderson, Pageland and Ridgeland.

The Barbers have also served in North Carolina in Charlotte (Northeast), Salisbury, and at East Market Street Church of Greensboro, N.C. 

Additionally, Pastor Barber pastored in Georgia in Augusta (Ebenezer SDA Church), Wrens (Wrens SDA Church), Norwood (Thomson), Savannah (West Broad), Garden City (Wrens 1st SDA Church), Hinesville, (Hinesville 1st SDA Church), East Point (Mt. Olive), Jonesboro (First Riverdale) and Smyrna (Shiloh).  He has also served as the Youth Director of the South Atlantic Conference of Seventh-day Adventist (2004-2010).

Drake P. Barber is married to the former Brenda Allen of Brooklyn, N.Y. who is the last child born to William and Mary Allen. Sister Barber is a product of Adventist Christian Education having matriculated through the system from elementary school through college. The Lord has used Mrs. Barber in ministry during her entire career. She served as a Literature Evangelist for five years while living in Augusta, Georgia. God miraculously called her to minister for Him in the classroom for 16 years where she has taught at various schools. Mrs. Barber retired in 2016, but still holds a part-time position as the librarian at the Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy. 

The Barbers have three children,      
Son:  Drake J. and Daughters:  Brittany, Tauriette and Cherese. They also have three Grandchildren: Astoria, D'Andra and A'vonta.

Pastor Barber enjoys reading, computers, Scrabble, golf, singing, and meeting people.

Maranatha welcomes our new Youth Pastor, Avery A. Anderson. Pastor Avrey A. Anderson was born in Toronto, Canada. Being raised Seventh-day Adventist his whole life, he accepted the gospel message at a young age and participated in any ministry endeavor he could.

After attending Andrews University for Biology on a pre-med tract, he accepted the call to ministry in his senior year completing his BA in Religion in 2011. Pastor Anderson then transitioned to Washington Adventist University in Maryland and completed his Master’s in Religion in 2017.

Pastor Anderson has always had an interest in ministering to his peers and young people. He has served as a chaplain for his university choir at Andrews, and a student leader at his church on the campus. He has volunteered with different churches throughout his training for ministry and has a passion for winning souls for God’s kingdom.

Pastor Anderson has a passion for basketball, loves working on cars and photography. He is happily married to his college sweetheart the former Christal Notice.

Christal was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. She attended Andrews University where she completed a BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. A passionate worshipper and a love for singing, influences her spiritual walk with the Lord. She currently owns her own business where she creates men’s accessories. Her ultimate goal in life is to be able to stand before God knowing that she used every bit of the talents that He has given her. 

The Anderson’s have three children: Eden, Matea, and Judah.

Pastor Anderson’s ultimate goal as a minister is to do all that he can for the Master to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”