Spending 50 years in the ministry - and turning 70 - is quite a milestone.

So, Sardis Baptist Church members and friends from all over Georgia are coming together today to celebrate the Rev. Dr. Marlon Thomas' accomplishments.

"We'll meet in the sanctuary and we'll have a program with singing," said wife Angie Thomas. "There's going to be people from different churches where we've been. It's just going to be an afternoon of singing and giving tribute to him.

"We've got 16 cakes coming ... we may have anywhere from 100 to 500 (people)."

Thomas, whose birthday was Thursday, was born in Pendergrass and has been pastor at many churches in Georgia throughout the years.

His first assignment was at Pond Fork Baptist Church in Talmo. He spent 16 years at Calvary Baptist Church in Hampton and First Baptist Church of Lula, among others.

During Thomas' ministry he has been a member and organizer of gospel singing groups.

His love of music began as a young man when Thomas appeared weekly on WXIA Channel 11 with the Lee Roy Abernathy Quartet and later was a member of the Watchmen Quartet of Marietta. He went on to organize the New Watchmen Quartet in Lula.

He has been married to Angie for 42 years; they have two children and six grandchildren. Son Chris Thomas and wife Melanie, who live in Jackson County, have three children; daughter Kim Reed and husband Bobby Reed are Gainesville residents and have three children.