WEST MONROE – Three weeks after Claiborne Baptist Church here closed its doors forever, Faith Baptist Church was born. In all, 35 people participated in the first service of the new start; the charter rolls remained open until March 1.
WEST MONROE – Three weeks after Claiborne Baptist
Church here closed its doors forever, Faith Baptist Church was born. In
all, 35 people participated in the first service of the new start; the
charter rolls remained open until March 1.
“This is a work God has been doing for three years,”
said founding pastor Mike Thompson. “I wouldn’t have tackled this on my
own for a million dollars, but it’s exciting to see what God is doing.”
Claiborne Baptist started in 1951 as Nelson Baptist,
and was renamed Claiborne Community in the mid-1970s when what some
said was a charismatic faction took over.
The North Louisiana congregation dwindled by 1981 to
five families, and after a two-year legal tussle, the property reverted
to Southern Baptists.
Twenty years after that, the congregation asked
Thompson to lead a mid-week Bible study; four months later, he was
called as pastor.
Since then the congregation has made great strides
in spiritual maturity, and has begun to witness in the community.
The decision to let the old church die was not easy, but it was necessary, the pastor said.
“We had to say goodbye to an old friend,” Thompson
said. “We’re honoring the faith [of long-time members] in starting this
new church.”
Faith Baptist gives 5 percent to missions through
the Cooperative Program, and 3 percent to the Northeast Baptist
Association. It plans a soul-winning conference in March, missions
celebration in May, and revival later in the year.