WISNER, La. – For the last 32 years, Thomas Peoples has called First Baptist Church, Wisner, “home.”
Peoples, who has served as pastor for one-third of the church’s 100-year existence, has faithfully walked alongside his members as they have strived to be a light house for Christ in Wisner. Many of those individuals, along with others from the community, will be on hand to honor Peoples during a special retirement service, July 30. The day will include a lunch and reception at 2 p.m. in the church’s family life center.
“This was a great church when we arrived,” Peoples said. “And hopefully we’re leaving it even better than we found it.”
CALLED TO SERVE
Peoples trusted Christ as his Savior at nine and embraced a call to ministry at 16, serving as youth minister at Poplar Springs Baptist Church, Newton, Mississippi. Over the next two years, Peoples continued to serve as a youth minister at First Baptist Church, Taylorsville, Mississippi, and then as pastor at Oak Grove Baptist Church, Bentonia, Mississippi (1979-84), Parkerson Avenue Baptist Church, Crowley (1985-1991), and FBC Wisner (1991-present).
ON MISSION TO SERVE
While Christ has been at the forefront of his ministry, Peoples said he could not have enjoyed such a fruitful ministry without the support of his wife, Loretta. The couple have been married 48 years.
Loretta, whose father, Robert Martin, served as interim pastor of FBC Wisner in 1976 and then again in 1984, called it an honor for her husband to serve at the same church where he dad pastored.
Together, the couple has been present for the birth, baptism and marriage of many church members.
“A lot of pastors don’t get to see that full circle,” Thomas Peoples said. “It’s a compliment to the
church that they were willing to allow us that privilege.”
During their time at FBC Wisner, the Peoples have participated with members on mission trips to such locations as West Virginia, Guatemala, South Louisiana, and Daytona Beach, Florida. Church members also have conducted surveys of every household in Wisner, not to recruit members, but to identify needs in the community and share that information with town officials, hosted an annual fall festival and community Christmas meal, and gathered once a month at the church to pack more than 100 bags of groceries for distribution through the Northeast Louisiana Food Bank.
The Peoples also have seen their members give generously to support missions around the world through the Cooperative Program.
“Even when money was tight, the church was faithful to give and help people in need – and God has honored that,” Thomas Peoples noted.
One ministry highlight for Thomas Peoples was in 2005, when he had the opportunity to lead in
prayer before the United States House of Representatives inside the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., upon the invitation of then-Congressman Rodney Alexander.
“I got to stand in the spot where every U.S. President has delivered their State of the Union Address,” Thomas said. “It was an honor.”
MOTIVATED TO SERVE
Peoples also has seen the church rally during some of the most difficult moments, including when a fire destroyed the worship center and educational buildings in 2005. He recalled how members spontaneously formed a prayer circle, and someone began singing the old hymn “Trust and Obey.” Members met in the gymnasium for worship and homes for Bible study until the facilities were rebuilt two years later.
“It was an emotional time,” Loretta Peoples said. “Heartbreaking. But God turned it around for good.”
And in 2009, the church retired the debt through a combination of insurance, member commitments to extra giving and many donations from friends of the church.
As they look toward retirement, the Peoples plan to move to Pineville where their oldest son, Jared, is in ministry at Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria. They also plan to visit their middle son, Joshua, who is a church planter/pastor at City Light Church, Ormand Beach, Florida, and youngest son, Jon, who works for the Franklin Parish School Board and is an active member of FBC Wisner.
“We are very blessed to have been here and part of this church family for so long,” Peoples said. “To get to be a pastor to – and friends with – some wonderful people. First Baptist Wisner will always be home.”
