--- title: SR 488. Battles, Mr. Jim; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr488 cite_as: SR 488, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr488 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr488.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr488/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71789 date: 2025-03-28 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr487.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr489.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr488.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 488 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-28 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Marty Harbin - Russ Goodman - Clint Dixon - Sam Watson - Chuck Payne - Ricky Williams - Kay Kirkpatrick text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR488/2025 upstream_id: 2016103 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - ceremonial resolution - Georgia Senate honors - retirement recognition --- # SR 488. Battles, Mr. Jim; recognize ## Text 25 LC 129 0363 Senate Resolution 488 By: Senators Harbin of the 16th, Goodman of the 8th, Dixon of the 45th, Watson of the 11th, Payne of the 54th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Mr. Jim Battles upon his retirement; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, Mr. Jim Battles has served in vocational ministry for over forty years; and2 WHEREAS, Mr. Battles received his Bachelors of Science from Auburn University; and3 WHEREAS, Mr. Battles later received his Master's degree in Reli gious Education from4 Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; and 5 WHEREAS, Mr. Battles began his full-time service in vocational ministry in education and6 youth at Parkview Baptist Church, in Florida, in 1981; and7 WHEREAS, Mr. Battles continued working in ministry after moving to Georgia in 1994, to8 work as the Associate Pastor for Adults and Youth Education at First Baptist Church in9 Fayetteville, before becoming the Youth Minister; and10 WHEREAS, Mr. Battles' influence spans decades, mentoring studen ts who later became11 youth ministers themselves, including Belinda Jenkins, whose daughter and son-in-law are12 now in ministry; and13 S. R. 488 - 1 - 25 LC 129 0363 WHEREAS, despite fighting a battle with leukemia, Mr. Battles r emains grateful for the14 opportunity to serve long enough to see generational change in his ministry; and15 WHEREAS, Mr. Battles had the ability to make every student feel included and valued16 serving as a key part of his success; and17 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this18 remarkable and distinguished Georgian be appropriately recognized19 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body20 recognize and commend Mr. Jim Battles for his decades of ministry and service, congratulate21 him upon his retirement, and extend the most sincere best wishes for continued health and22 happiness23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed24 to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Mr. Jim Battles.25 S. R. 488 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution formally recognizes Mr. Jim Battles of Fayetteville for over forty years of vocational ministry and congratulates him on his retirement. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It honors Mr. Jim Battles, who spent more than forty years in vocational ministry, including work in youth and education ministry in Florida and later at First Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia, after moving to the state in 1994. The resolution recounts his education, his career in ministry, his mentorship of future youth ministers, and his perseverance through a leukemia diagnosis. The Senate resolves to recognize and commend him for his service, congratulate him on his retirement, and directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide him a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Mr. Jim Battles for over forty years of service in vocational ministry. - Congratulates Mr. Battles on his retirement and extends wishes for his continued health and happiness. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Mr. Battles. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names and honors Mr. Jim Battles. It also involves the Georgia Senate, which adopts the recognition, and the Secretary of the Senate, who is tasked with providing him a copy of the document. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or regulatory effect on Georgians generally. Its practical impact is limited to a formal, public acknowledgment of one individual's decades of ministry work and the presentation of a keepsake copy to him. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe Mr. Battles' education at Auburn University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his ministry career starting in 1981. - The resolving clause states the Senate's recognition, commendation, and congratulations to Mr. Battles on his retirement. - The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to Mr. Battles. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-28) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-03-28) - Sponsors: Marty Harbin, Russ Goodman, Clint Dixon, Sam Watson, Chuck Payne, Ricky Williams, Kay Kirkpatrick - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71789 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr488.md?full=1