VIDALIA — Preston Pittman is a prestigious name in hunting circles.

The five-time world champion in turkey calling was on-hand at the fourth annual Highland Baptist Wildlife Expo Thursday night to show off products from his business, Pittman’s Game Calls, and for Longleaf Camo.

And Pittman said he came away pleased with what he saw.

“I didn’t realize it was as big and well-organized as it was. I was very impressed,” Pittman said.

After hosting the event at its church for the first three years, Highland Baptist moved the expo to the Vidalia Conference and Convention Center in anticipation of growing numbers.

At the end of the night, church staff members would be pleased. Approximately 900 people attended the event, breaking last year’s record of 505 people by a significant margin.

“The whole idea is reaching people for the kingdom of God,” said the Rev. Paul Southerland, the pastor at Highland Baptist.

“The reason we do it so big is so that people can say, ‘It had to be God.’ It humbles me to see how God works through our church, and how our (members) work through problems.

“It’s all God. I tell my kids, I don’t want to hear the word ‘awesome’ unless it’s about God.”

Combining his love for Christ and his love for the outdoors is something Jason Cruise has made a ministerial career out of. Cruise, host of the TV show “Me and Dad,” who was in attendance Thursday as the expo’s guest speaker, used the outlet to share his faith to everyone in attendance.

“‘Me and Dad’ is about using hunting and fishing to share the love of Christ, and to help adult men connect with their adult dads. Most men don’t have a great relationship with their father, and it’s really all about reconciliation.”

Cruise said speaking at an event like Highland Baptist’s Wildlife Expo allowed him to bring his message to an audience that wouldn’t normally hear it.

“A lot of men that hunt and fish don’t connect with church, but if you can connect with them on their passion for hunting and fishing, you have instant brotherhood,” Cruise said.

“It’s not that they don’t believe in God, they just don’t know His name. Doing this, I get to interact with a bunch of people outside of church.”

More than 30 booths were set up at the event, where business could advertise their products. In addition, numerous door prizes were given away to guests, including a grand prize 2010 Polaris Sportsman four-wheeler, donated by Lakeside Ford.

“On behalf of Highland Baptist, we would like to thank all of our many sponsors for their generous donations,” said Highland team member Stephanie McCall.

“We especially want to thank Lakeside Ford for donating the four-wheeler, which was a big draw for the event.”