By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
CATAHOULA (LBM)- -The simple obedience of one man, by sharing the Gospel in the heart of Catahoula, has reaped a spiritual harvest not experienced before at Lakefront Community Church: seven members of one family were baptized in a single day.
As he lowered and raised each new convert in the baptistery, March 3, Pastor Randy Bowman smiled thinking about the faithful witness of Marshall Savoie, and, how this man’s faithfulness led to the most baptisms ever for the congregation, which averages 20 in attendance at Thursday evening worship services.
“When you see a family respond, you just sit back and are in awe of what the Lord has done,” Bow-man told the Baptist Message. “This is a testimony to this entire town be-cause everyone knows
everybody here and many are not church goers,” he explained. “When they see an entire family step forward and proclaim their faith in Christ, it leaves an impression with other people in this community. We are just excited about how the Lord is going to move next at our church.” The Gospel seeds were planted in early February when Bowman and Savoie ventured out into downtown Catahoula to distribute Bibles and share the Gospel. Savoie, who is a deacon at Jenkins Memorial Baptist Church in St. Martinville, the sponsor church of LCC, struck up a conversation with Tina Busby and learned she was a believer.
But Busby promised to bring her family to the next worship service.
On Feb. 21, all seven relatives responded to the message with each one trusting Christ.
Savoie was elated, and he is praying that these are the first of a multitude of people in Catahoula who will profess their faith in Christ.
“The good Lord has put on my heart to go to my hometown to give out Bibles, so we began talking to people,” he said. “Brother Randy met Tina and told her we will save a seat for her and she said save seven more seats. The next Thursday she showed up and we were like ‘wow.’
“When I see them in church, they are so intense and interested,” he continued. “You can feel they are spiritually hungry and so happy to be there. To watch this family come together makes me happy to know that these people have followed Christ and have a place to go.
Pastor Randy Bowman prepares
to baptize one of seven new converts at Lakefront Community
Church in Catahoula March 3. Submitted photo
Savoie said he was grateful to pay forward the love for Christ that he adopted just four years ago.
“I’ve only been reading the Bible the past four years and I am so happy God came into my life the way He did,” he said. “He always was there but I never realized I could enjoy all the
Bible has to offer us. It’s a fantastic, wonderful, beautiful story, and if you follow it, you end up in a beautiful, wonderful place. I’m so thankful each of these seven family members will be joining me in Heaven one day.”
