Years ago, Fred Luter Jr. was issued a challenge – grow Franklin Avenue Baptist
Church or close it.
He chose the former.
Now 17 years later, the New Orleans predominantly African-American church
has been called upon to help yet another Baptist church survive.
Years ago, Fred Luter Jr. was issued a challenge – grow Franklin Avenue Baptist
Church or close it.
He chose the former.
Now 17 years later, the New Orleans predominantly African-American church
has been called upon to help yet another Baptist church survive.
Organized in 1984 as a satellite church of Edgewater Baptist Church in New
Orleans, East Edgewater Baptist Church attracted Anglos in a predominantly white
New Orleans neighborhood.
As the years passed, racial transition occurred in the area, and the church
decreased to a handful of members. Choosing to survive rather than close, the
congregation contacted Luter to see if Franklin Avenue would have an interest
in purchasing the 7.5-acre property. The members wanted to sell only to a church.
After Luter and others from Franklin Avenue met with Joel Turner, pastor of
the East Edgewater church at the time. The congregation voted to sell the property
to Franklin Avenue, and the sale was completed in November, 2002.
William Marshall III is pastor of evangelism at Franklin Avenue and also is
serving as pastor of what is now a satellite church known as Franklin Avenue
East. Each Sunday, he and other members of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church serve
as Sunday School leaders and assist in other ministries at the satellite location.
While this is Marshall’s first time to serve as pastor of a mission church,
Franklin Avenue has sponsored 12 missions, two of which are now autonomous.
Luter says his experience in resurrecting a dying congregation proved invaluable
when Franklin Avenue became involved with the East Edgewater congregation.
“We’ve learned that God rewards faithfulness,” Luter explains. “This is another
example of a ministry opportunity we were not pursuing.”
Franklin Avenue East member Carmen Dunphy adds that Franklin Avenue’s reputation
as a fast-growing congregation is a reason why East Edgewater chose Luter’s
church. Before Franklin Avenue acquired the property, the East Edgewater congregation
was averaging only between 15 and 20 members each Sunday.
“Now, it’s standing room only,” says Dunphy, whose church now has Anglos and
African-Americans worshiping together.
The church’s property consists of a main building that holds 125 people for
worship services, an educational building, 20 classrooms and a swimming pool.
Luter says the church repaired the fence in the back of the property, the swimming
pool area was repaired, the classrooms received a fresh coat of paint and the
floors were rebuffed.
Marshall says this experience has shown that God’s love is colorblind. The
two congregations have connected, he maintains.
“When you get into Christ, color is not a factor,” he says. “People are just
people.”
Luter agrees.
“Here you have an Anglo church that came to an African-American church to worship
with their brothers and sisters,” Luter notes. “That says something about unity
and the body of Christ. It also says something to the community.”
Kelly O’Connor is a member of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church and assists Marshall
each Sunday by serving in leadership roles. Since he has been involved at Franklin
Avenue East, he says God has reaffirmed that philosophy about race.
“When God is working in and through you, he changes your life,” O’Connor says.
“Whatever prejudices a person has when you are saved, God begins to change that.
“When I walk into (Franklin Avenue East), I just see people who love the Lord.
When you talk with those people, it’s like you’ve known them for years.”