By Mark H Hunter, Regional Reporter
DENHAM SPRINGS – The oldest church in Livingston Parish just moved into a modern, spacious sanctuary that re-combined Hebron Baptist’s two-service congregations.
The church, located just south of Denham Springs on Hwy. 16, also celebrated its 178th year with a May 3 homecoming service and, of course, dinner on the grounds – actually in the gym.
“I feel like we have one congregation again,” said Joe Alain, senior pastor for the past nine years. “I kinda felt like I was pastoring two different churches. Now everything is together – which is a very positive experience.”
For the past several years, due mainly to space constraints, they had been holding two services, one traditional at 8 a.m., and a contemporary service at 10:30 a.m. Now they hold one service at 10 a.m. and they have “blended” the formats as well, Alain said.
“Our desire was to have the wisdom of our senior saints with the passion of our younger people,” Alain said. “Wisdom and passion together is a pretty good combination.”
Founded in 1837, the congregation has met in a log cabin, a larger log-frame building, and several brick buildings until their new, $3 million, 25,000-square-foot sanctuary building was dedicated on March 22.
“We’ve been around a long time – but we don’t have any charter members still living,” Alain said with a laugh.
Church historian Mary Broussard, 72, has attended Hebron Baptist her entire life and has written extensively about it.
“We are the oldest church in Livingston Parish still in existence,” Broussard said. “It was founded by eight members and their relatives still attend here. We have five Civil War veterans in the cemetery and their relatives still attend this church.”
For homecoming, Broussard and their history team published a 30-page booklet charting the deacons who have served over the decades and a few interesting stories.
In the early 1900’s, according to one account, “Answered Prayer,” no rain had fallen for four months and people were going hungry so church members called an all-day, July 4, prayer meeting. By late afternoon children playing outside reported hearing thunder, “but they went right on praying,” the story goes. “A cloud moved in and everyone was drenched and they all left there singing God’s praises. No one complained about getting wet.”
Located on 17 acres of what was once rural land, Hebron Baptist is now surrounded by suburbs thanks to explosive growth provoked by Hurricane Katrina.
“It is a really unique church because the area is growing so fast – it used to be rural but now it’s pretty much has a suburban feel to it with new subdivisions,” Alain said. Average attendance is 350 to 400 and they average about 25 baptisms a year, he said.
“Growth has been steady,” Alain said. “We’ve had lots of new folks from surrounding subdivisions joining.”
The new building was designed it to be very open and welcoming, Alain said. Sunlight floods into the foyer through tall windows and the open space includes couches and chairs, a visitor’s welcome counter and nearby “Gospel Grounds” coffee shop.
On one side of the 700 seat sanctuary is a secure children’s ministry wing and on the other side is a row of classrooms for the elementary youth. The floor is flat, the interlocking chairs are comfortable, the acoustics are wonderful and the large stage includes twin, large screens for video presentations.
The church has so much going on during the week the bulletin has to be printed on 11×17 sheets of paper. For example, food pantry and clothes closet ministries are “exploding,” Alain said.
“Our goal is to reach into the community as much as possible realizing you can’t just build a building and expect them to come in,” Alain said. “So many families in our community don’t attend anywhere.”
Phil Ortego, 55, pastor of Scotts Hills Baptist Church in Wilmington, N.C. for the past 21 years, was the homecoming preacher.
“I got saved in this church when I was a senior in high school,” Ortego said. He grew up as a Catholic. “Before I came here I was really abusing drugs and alcohol – my life was just a mess.”
“A friend from this church invited me to come hear the One Way Singers youth choir on a Thursday night … there were some good looking girls in the choir – so I came for the girls,” Ortego said with a grin. “But that night I met Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and he transformed my life radically from that point on.”
“I’m kinda like the boy who moved away and gets to come back to share in the abundance of the ministry God has brought here,” Ortego said. “God has had His hand on this church for 178 years. The best days are not behind this church but the best years for this church are still ahead.”
On the internet: www.hbcdenham.org