By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor
BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – David Goza, pastor of the Jefferson Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, will be nominated for president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
Tommy Middleton, director of missions for the Baptist Association of Greater Baton Rouge, notified the Baptist Message, June 27, of his intentions to make the nomination, calling Goza “a faithful man of the Word, who loves his family, his church and the Louisiana Baptist Convention.”
Louisiana Baptist messengers will vote for officers and conduct other business matters during the 2023 LBC Annual Meeting, Nov. 14, in the facilities of the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church of New Orleans.
STATEMENT OF SUPPORT
Middleton said he has known Goza for more than 15 years, and he shared that they have worked together in missions overseas and co-labored to share the Good News in the capital city.
He told the Baptist Message his friendship with Goza and their work together for the Gospel has grown, and he emphasized that “after I became director of missions, my wife and I joined Jefferson Baptist so that he would be our pastor.”
“David has been leading Jefferson Baptist for almost 15 years,” Middleton added. “When you realize that he followed a pastor who had been there 49 years, that is quite an accomplishment. It speaks volumes about his ability to work well with others, and it shows he is a man who is secure in his own calling.
CANDIDATE’S RESPONSE
“When Tommy asked if I would consider serving as president, I was humbled and overwhelmed with the thought,” Goza shared with the Baptist Message. “I am truly honored to even be considered for a role like this.”
“I love the work of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, he noted, adding that “if the Lord opens the way for me to serve in this role, I will make the best of the opportunity to unite our pastors and churches to spread the truth of God’s inerrant Word.”
“I believe we are living in dark days and our society needs bible-believing churches to be in unity,” Goza said. “We need to be working together to bring the light of truth to all people.”
BY THE NUMBERS
The 2022 database (latest information available) of the Annual Church Profile surveys shows that the Jefferson Baptist Church gave $247,342, or nearly 10 percent, of undesignated receipts, $2,474,360, through the Cooperative Program, the primary funding channel for Louisiana Baptists to support cooperative missions and ministries at the state and national levels. Jefferson Baptist has given through the CP at this level or better since Goza arrived in 2008.
Under his leadership, the congregation also has given generously to the local association, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and the Georgia Barnette Louisiana Mission Offering. In 2022, those amounts were:
$48,947 BAGBR
$18,036 LMCO
$10,259 AAEO
$7,876 GBO
Moreover, in 2022 Jefferson Baptist averaged 630 worshipers in the main Sunday service and baptized 27 new believers. The congregation has recorded 462 baptisms since 2008, when Goza arrived.
PERSONAL DATA
Prior to leading Jefferson Baptist, he was the pastor of Davis Boulevard Baptist Church in North Richland Hills, Texas (2002-2008).
Leading up to his senior pastorates, he served in various staff positions with two Texas congregations: Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano and First Baptist Church in Euless.
Goza earned the Doctor of Philosophy and the Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, and he was awarded the Bachelor of Arts by the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma.
Furthermore, since 2006 he has served as an associate professor of church history with Liberty University Seminary (online).
Goza was a five-year member of the LBC Executive Board, serving as president for two years. He has been a member of the Committee on Credentials and Committee on Resolutions, and currently is on the Committee on Moral and Social Concerns.
Finally, he served on the 2020 President’s Commission that developed a seven-year strategy for maximizing Louisiana Baptists’ effectiveness in Gospel ministry.
He is married to the former Dana Campbell, and they have four children, Nathaniel (19), Alexander (17), William (14), and Anna (12).
FINAL THOUGHTS
Middleton offered that Goza would “serve Louisiana Baptists humbly and effectively” pointing to Goza’s similar leadership approach within the large and diverse local association where “he works well with his fellow pastors … while leading his own large staff.”
“Additionally, David is an excellent role model for younger pastors and aspiring leaders.” Middleton observed. “Most of all, he has demonstrated a great life of faithfulness to the local church, and this is an essential quality for those who would serve as president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.”
