Freddie Arnold, recently retired from the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans, has returned home to Walker to become associate associational missions coordinator for the Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association.
WALKER – Freddie Arnold, recently retired from the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans, has returned home to Walker to become associate associational missions coordinator for the Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association.
A native of Walker, Arnold graduated from Walker High School, attended Southeastern Louisiana University for two, and later received his Associate Degree in Religious Education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
He served as the Minister of Education at Kingsville Baptist Church in Pineville for 17 years before taking over as a Church Planter Missionary for BAGNO. A position he held for the last 10 years.
He officially started his new position on July 6.
“Freddie brings with him a wealth of experience in associational ministry, church planting, and disaster relief (being a Blue Cap in Southern Baptist Disaster Relief). His background in church education and church planting will make him a valuable resource to the churches of the association,” wrote David Brown, Associational Missions Coordinator for ELBA .
Arnold, trained as a “Sunday School man” and originally called as a church-planting strategist, became BAGNO’s de facto Disaster Relief coordinator after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 left New Orleans in shambles.
“Since he is a “white cap” in Disaster Relief, he moved seamlessly into those post-hurricane responsibilities, even though he had lost his home and belongings. He and his wife were living in a small apartment in Walker,” retired BAGNO Director of Missions Joe McKeever wrote about his second in command.
“Freddie worked with chain saw teams and cooking units, then oversaw the work of mudding out and gutting out homes. During the week, he lived in the back of BAGNO’s offices in a couple of little rooms, and on weekends he returned to Walker and built a new home for his wife and himself,” McKeever continued.
“Gradually, as things returned to normal, Freddie continued the work of disaster relief supervision and added to that personal counseling to pastors on the rebuilding of their facilities, church planting, and church development,” wrote McKeever.
“The best tribute to the worth of this man is that upon his retirement, he will be replaced by three workers!” McKeever added.
Arnold and his wife, Elaine, have two children; Kerney Arnold and Julie Johnston, both of Walker, and 5 grandchildren. He has 5 brothers and 1 sister, all of whom grew up in Judson Baptist Church.