By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
SLAUGHTER, La. (LBM) – Basil Wicker recently celebrated more than a half century of ministry with First Baptist Church, Slaughter.
During the church’s 182nd anniversary service, Sept. 8, the congregation honored Wicker for his 55th year of service as pastor. The event featured messages by his nephews Mark Wicker and Blake Emfinger, both who serve on staff with churches in Mississippi. The church plans to name the new multi-purpose building that is under construction in honor of him.
For Wicker, the service was a reminder of a church and community that have held a special place in his heart since he preached his first sermon on July 21, 1969.
“It’s been like a dream, a dream come true,” Wicker told the Baptist Message. “The Lord’s blessed me and my wife. She is deceased. She and I did not have children, and my prayer was always that God give us children, and he did! My children were the children of the church, and that’s my family.
“I’m totally committed to the to this body. We have always worked on building relationships and love for one another, and there’s always something going on,” he continued. “As for me, I’ve tried to keep things simple. I’ve not looked for greener pastures. God made me content where He put me and I’m grateful for where he put me.”
A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Wicker surrendered to Christ when he was nine years old. When he was 12, he felt a call to ministry but because he was too shy, he waited two more years until he made a public statement to Calvary Baptist Church, Smithdale. Shortly after that he was given the chance to teach a Sunday school class, which brought him off the sidelines and set the groundwork for training in ministry.
After graduating from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Wicker accepted the call to his first pastorate — with New Zion Baptist Church, Liberty, Mississippi. After one of the morning services, a search committee approached him about coming to FBCS.
Though he had never heard of Slaughter, Wicker and his wife, Linda, (who passed away in June 2019 and played the piano for 30 years with FBCS), came to the church for his trial sermon on July 21, 1969.
I had never heard of that community in my life, and I preached my sermon on the very day man walked on the moon for the first time,” he said. “One of the ladies told me she wanted to see that happen, and not to go too long with my sermon. We finished in plenty of time, and I was even able to make it home to watch the moonwalk with my wife.”
Since he came to the church, Sept. 7, 1969, Wicker has seen the church grow from 100 in attendance to more than 300 now, building a new worship center in 1976. He praised his members for their willingness to serve with him for 55 years and for their faithful outreach to the community. The deacons are key for their help in energizing the congregation to engage the people of Slaughter, also Wicker has placed an increased emphasis on discipleship of children and youth, and the congregation has fully committed to a day of fasting and prayer once a week.
“It is not about me at all,” he said. “It’s about God’s kingdom.
Wicker said he has no plans to retire anytime soon, and that he and the congregation are all in about reaching the community and making disciples.
“My prayer is that we work even harder to reach folks outside these walls, and especially that God would continue to give us a burning in our hearts for witnessing to the young people, young adults in Slaughter.”
