<p>The Rev. Jimmy Waters, who served as chaplain for the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department for more than 55 years and was known as a pioneer of religious broadcasting in the state, died Thursday.</p><p>Waters, 83, also was chaplain for such state law enforcement agencies as the Georgia State Patrol and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.</p><p>Waters died in a Macon hospital after several months of declining health. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Mabel White with burial services at Riverside Cemetery.</p><p>Membership at Mable White Baptist Church in Macon grew from 800 to 3,900 in the 31 years Waters was the minister there. He was known by many in the Macon region for his Victory Hour religious broadcasts and as a fixture on the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon telecast on WMAZ in Macon.</p><p>As chaplain of the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department, Waters said I fight two types of fires.</p><p>Said Waters: If its a physical fire, I try to help put it out. If its hells fire, I try to keep it from destroying mens souls. Im genuinely sold on fire prevention of both kinds.</p><p>From 1974-76, Waters was president of the Georgia Baptist Convention.</p><p>Waters was lifetime chaplain of the Georgia Peace Officers Association. In addition to his 55 years with the Macon fire department, he also served as chaplain of the Macon Police Department and the Bibb County Sheriffs Office.</p><p>In September, the Georgia Peace Officers Association awarded the first Jimmy Waters Scholarship in his honor to a University of Georgia criminal justice student.</p><p>For decades, Waters was a familiar sight at fire scenes in Macon, ministering to victims and firefighters.</p><p>Even when he had such bad health problems, he still kept his fire scanner right by his side, said Waters daughter, Deborah W. Stevens.</p><p>A native of Gwinnett County, Waters moved to Macon in 1945 as a 24-year-old Mercer University student, accompanied by his wife, the former Annette Burton of Crawfordville.</p>
