Paul Spurlin lives in Bay Springs, MS, and is a member of First Baptist Church of Bay Springs. Jesus Christ saved Paul in March, 2003, and the Lord called him to ministry in October, 2007. After being licensed to Gospel Ministry by First Baptist Church of Bay Springs, he has continued teaching and occasionally preaching within his home church and has been used in pulpit supply by churches within Mississippi. Currently, Paul serves as coordinator of Restoration, a ministry of the missions office to churches of the BMA of Mississippi and to people who are jailed in Mississippi. His full time work is as an associate professor of finance for Mississippi State University, teaching on the Meridian campus.
Paul has been married to Julie since 2003. Julie is a former art teacher and is currently active in the ministries of First Baptist of Bay Springs. Paul and Julie have two daughters, Mandy Russell and Suzy Myers, who are each married to ministers. Dr. Jonathan Russell pastors First Baptist Church in Milton, FL, and Chris Myers pastors Palestine Baptist Church in Montrose, MS. Mandy teaches in the Milton, FL, school district, and Suzy teaches home school, works in retail, and serves as secretary for First Baptist, Bay Springs. Paul and Julie also cherish their four grandchildren: Jake Russell, Anna Myers, Cameron Russell, and Andrew Myers. While Paul attempts to rule his own house well, his and Julie’s dachshund, Molly, challenges that notion at times.
Paul is looking forward to working with local churches in an effort to minister to jailed people and is excited to see what the Lord will do with this ministry opportunity with our missions department. "The name Restoration has been chosen for our jail ministry because our vision for the ministry is to see God’s work of restoration in three areas. First, we seek for Him to restore the rightful role of each church, as indicated by Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 25:34-40, as she ministers to jailed people in her local area. Secondly, we desire for God to restore through the preaching of the Gospel to unsaved jailed persons His relationship with them that has been lost due to sin. Finally, we understand that, sadly, there are those who are truly God’s children who have found themselves jailed. Therefore, we will work that their fellowship can be restored with God as local churches minister to them in jail."