Progress Report

Faith Baptist Church gets their own building!

This wonderful small congregation was formed five or six years ago by a group of members of First Baptist-New Orleans when the mother congregation voted to move from St. Charles Avenue out to the Lakeview section. The “Faith” group felt someone should maintain a ministry in the uptown section of New Orleans.

The church has not had a permanent location or a permanent pastor all this time. For a long time, they shared space with the First Presbyterian of New Orleans, and since Katrina, they’ve met at Rayne United Methodist Church on St. Charles. They’ve had excellent interim pastors, including Roger Sullivan, Argile Smith, and for the past 3 years or so, Tim Searcy.

Friday, Faith’s leaders met at the lawyer’s office in downtown New Orleans to sign the papers and make official the purchase of the property at South Claiborne Street and Fern which was formerly the Second Church of Christ, Scientist. That congregation, which had dwindled to 25 prior to Katrina, never reassembled afterwards due to the damage on their buildings and the resettlement of their members.

I was present for the signing, just to share their joy.

Faith will be renovating the sanctuary and educational building before moving in, but they are elated and we are for them. That neighborhood would be jumping for joy, too, if they knew how the Lord has just blessed them with these new neighbors.

The Baptist Crossroads Foundation Board held its annual meeting Saturday morning.

No matter what part of the U.S. you live in, you’ve probably seen on television or in print the homes that are being built by the Baptist Crossroads. The houses all have the same architecture and are multi-colored in some vividly bright hues. Pastor David Crosby heard a volunteer say he was working “down at Skittles-Land!”

Pastor Fred Luter and I were the only two non-First Baptist Church boardmembers present. Looking around the church’s youth room where we were meeting, I noticed two lawyers, a banker, an educator, and several businessmen. One businesswoman. I told them I wanted to make an observation.

“I’ve been in a lot of churches and have pastored seven congregations. But I have never seen a group of church members get behind the vision of the pastor–and that’s what you have done–and bring it to reality the way you folks have done. It is most impressive and I’d just like to say to you, ‘Well done.’ The Lord is honored by what you are doing. Each one of you brings certain gifts and expertise to this ministry.”

A couple of people said, “You should have been in church the day David presented the vision to the congregation. You knew immediately that this was of God. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. It has been a privilege.”

The church group (we can call it the Baptist Crossroads “Board”, but let’s face it–it’s a ministry of the First Baptist Church of New Orleans) has taken into their hearts not only the charge to build new homes in this 70 block area, but to do all in its power to help in the rebuilding of other homes and the rebirth of the people who live there. We’re glad to know that Pastor Fred Luter’s Franklin Avenue Baptist Church is also helping minister to the residents.

Board members were presented with maps–aerial photos actually–of the assigned area, with symbols to indicate which homes are gutted, which have had no activity of rebuilding of any kind since Katrina, and which are in good shape. With slightly more than 2,000 homes on the map, nearly one-fourth have had no rebuilding/renovation activity at all since Katrina.

Without the work of the Baptist Crossroads in the Ninth Ward, it would still be a most depressed section of New Orleans. As it is, there is hope and excitement.

One of the most impressive things I heard today had to do with the financial aspect of the Baptist Crossroads. Not that I understood it all. Just listening to our financial people outlining the details brought back why I made a ‘C’ on Economics 201 as a sophomore at Birmingham-Southern College over 45 years ago! This subject is most definitely not for us right-brained people!


Originally, the money to buy the lots and build the homes was provided by a partnership with Habitat for Humanity and Baptist Community Ministries, the foundation created from the sale of the old Baptist Hospital 15 years ago. Now, with their continued generosity and input, with assistance from some other friends, and with $20,000 per house given by friends, churches, and other organizations around the country, we can build homes forever in this city. Of course, we will always be needing volunteers to do the actual labor.

It’s looking more and more like we may end up needing to “build homes forever.” If the city is going to provide any leadership in this direction, it still has to do it. The faith-based groups have spear-headed the rebuilding of New Orleans to this point.

It amuses me to hear the occasional atheist/humanist rant on television about what dangerous people Christians are. I think to myself, “It’s those dangerous Christian people who have put their lives on hold and came to help rebuild New Orleans. If we were waiting on the atheists to give of themselves, we would be out of luck.”

Two homeless people froze to death under a bridge Thursday night.

That shattering headline caught the attention of Times-Picayune readers this Saturday morning. The article identified the victims, who were probably mentally ill and had rejected all invitations to come into shelters. They had lived on the downtown streets for years. That does not diminish the sadness of the situation or lessen the need for our continued efforts to help the poor and needy of this city.

Polly Boudreaux retired a few months ago as the clerk of the St. Bernard Parish Council. Then, this week, she received a heavy blow. The playground in the area of Chalmette where she lives and had spearheaded the rebuilding of its equipment was burned to the ground by vandals. Next door is a FEMA trailer park due to be closed down in a few days. No one knows who set the fire, but some have surmised that it could have been an angry resident. The victims were the children of that area.

Polly is a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of New Orleans, and one more reason why that is such a special church.

Freddie Arnold is finally getting around to constructing his new home up in Walker, Louisiana. Readers will remember that this good man and his terrific Elaine lost their New Orleans East home to Katrina’s floodwaters. Ever since, while helping hundreds of homeowners and many churches to rebuild in New Orleans, they’ve been back and forth between a tiny home which Freddie built in Walker (I’ve not seen it, but have been told it’s the size of a garage apartment) and a FEMA trailer behind our associational office. Freddie is a missionary church planter and associate director of missions for BAGNO, and a SBC Disaster Relief “white cap.”

Recently, FEMA took that trailer away, so Freddie is now using a couple of livable rooms in back of our Baptist Center for the nights he stays in town. Otherwise, the commute is 90 minutes each way.

Freddie drew up plans for the new home and over the Christmas/New Year’s holidays, he and his son Kearney started work. I’m told that Ed Jelks and the Louisiana Baptist Builders (and hopefully other volunteers) will be coming in from time to time to assist. If ever a wonderful couple needed the assistance and the encouragement, it’s Freddie and Elaine. They have given unsparingly of themselves to others over the years, and particularly since August 29, 2005.

One thought on “Progress Report

  1. Joe,

    Thanks for the update on Faith BC. I remember that building. With their remodel, it should serve well for them and the community.

    Paul

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