By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – A year after the launch of Send Network Louisiana, the evangelistic growth initiative has produced 17 new church plants and 300 baptisms.
The partnership with the North American Mission Board, which went into effect Aug. 1, 2023, has helped the state further its God-sized vision to see His Kingdom expanded in Louisiana by one percent (about 28,000 new believers) over the next decade.
“It’s exciting to see churches answering the call to send people and support new churches that will reach new people for Christ for generations to come,” Send Network Louisiana Director Lane Corley told the Baptist Message.
BACKGROUND
Researchers estimate that 60 percent of 4,648,794 Louisianans are lost (about 2,789,276). If successful, 28,875 Louisianans will be added to the Kingdom through 231 new churches planted in the state by 2033 (based on each reaching 125 people with the Gospel). These salvations will be in addition to those recorded by already established Louisiana Baptist congregations.
HARVEST BEGUN
Since the partnership began, the 17 new church plants, and another 28 planted since 2020 that currently receive Cooperative Program funding through the North American Mission Board and Louisiana Baptist Missions and Ministries Team, have reported, collectively: 683 salvation decisions, 300 baptisms and more than 13,000 Gospel conversations.
Of the 45 churches that receive the funding in Louisiana, 31 are in southeast Louisiana, nine are in north Louisiana, and five are in southwest Louisiana. Corley noted that 50 percent of Louisiana’s population is in southeast Louisiana, along with the two largest and most diverse metropolitan areas (New Orleans and Baton Rouge).
“So, we’ll continue to see more churches planted in these areas annually,” Corley said. “However, we are working on a greater emphasis in southwest Louisiana, with several growing communities around Lafayette without a Southern Baptist church — including Maurice, Cecilia, Duson and Sunset.”
Moreover, Corley said that replanting churches is still a significant need across Louisiana, as 25 churches close their doors for good every year. Currently, 14 replants are receiving funding and care through Send Network Louisiana. Troy Gause, a Send Network Louisiana replanter who has replanted Ames Boulevard Baptist Church in New Orleans, was recognized in August by NAMB’s Replant Team as the Replanter of the Year. And Rescue Community Church, pastored by replanter Russell Caldwell, has baptized more than 50 new believers this year alone, as they utilize the former Peniel Baptist Church building in West Monroe for various recovery-related ministries.
Additionally, church planting continues to help Louisiana Baptists grow in diversity.
Sixty-four percent of current church plants are non-Anglo (12 Hispanic, eight multi-ethnic, seven African-American, one Asian, and one Arabic).
BRIGHT FUTURE
Corley said 2025 already is looking bright, noting that 24 church planting candidates already are in the pipeline to be assessed.
The goal of planting 25 new churches next year can be reached, Corley said, by Louisiana Baptists helping in several ways:
— continue to cooperate with the Southern Baptist Convention through missions giving;
— become a supporting church and adopt a church plant for strategic prayer, a mission trip, support for the planting couple or financial support; and
— become a sending church (take responsibility for a new church or replant).
For more information about how to become a church planter or a sending church, visit SendNetwork.com.
