Three events of special interest to the Lord’s people will take place in our city on Tuesday, August 29. While various concerts and meetings will be going on all over the metropolitan area commemmorating the first anniversary of life changing forever in New Orleans, we will have a prayer rally at the First Baptist Church of New Orleans, the Baptist Seminary will mobilize a thousand students and teachers throughout the city, and we will address the city with a full-page ad in the Times-Picayune.

The Prayer Rally

Held at the First Baptist Church of New Orleans on Canal Boulevard that Tuesday at 7 pm, this event is sponsored by the interdenominational Pastors’ Coalition of New Orleans, the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans (that’s us), and PRC Compassion, a pastors’ group from throughout a larger area.

In our planning meeting, one thing everyone agreed on was that “prayer rallies” tend to do everything but pray. As with mayors’ prayer breakfasts, you line up speaker after speaker and very little actual praying gets done. Not this time.

Some of the prayer leaders will include Dennis Watson of Celebration Church, Michael Green of Faith Church, Kathy Radke of the West Bank Cathedral, and Cornelius Tilton of the Irish Channel Ministries. Bishop J. D. Wiley and I will do invocation and benediction. In between, Fred Luter will speak and possibly–just possibly, we haven’t heard for sure yet–Anne Graham Lotz.

Music will be provided by a choir composed of the praise leaders from Williams Boulevard Church, Franklin Avenue Church, and FBC-NO. George Huff, popular local singer who made it big on American Idol a year or two ago, is expected to be present; if so, he may do a mini-concert after the program ends.

Host Pastor David Crosby says, “We will recognize the amazing work of the Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Operation Blessing, and PRC Compassion as well as the wonderful work of many of our churches as part of the rally…. We are preparing a 5-7 minute video that seeks to capture this part of the story.”

The Seminary’s Plans for August 29

Professor of Urban Missions and Pastor of Elysian Fields Avenue Baptist Church Dr. Ken Taylor tells me a task force at our New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary has been working for some time on involving the seminary community in helping to rebuild the city. Since Tuesday of each week is the biggest day for students to be on campus, they have decided to make August 29 something special. Early that morning they will give disaster relief training, which is followed by a chapel service at 11:00 am. After lunch, hundreds will spread out into the city to work.

Ken says, “I personally hope we will send more than a thousand people into the city.” The task force has identified ten ways the seminary family can be involved that day and over the next few years.

1. Evangelism

2. Local church assistance

3. Mudout/cleanup

4. Construction of homes and churches

5. Counseling/chaplaincy

6. Church planting assist

7. Children’s ministry

8. Prayerwalking

9. Work with schools

10. Community involvement

He adds, “Hopefully, we can help a lot of folks meet the August 29 deadline for work to begin on their homes.”

The Full Page in the Times-Picayune

Some friends in Arkansas heard of our wish to have a full-page in the newspaper for that Tuesday and stepped up and offered to pay for it. We’re working on the text at this moment, because we have so much we’d like to say. “Thanks for the privilege of serving you, New Orleans.” “Southern Baptists are with you for the long haul.” “We’d like to thank the untold hundreds of our Southern Baptist churches that have been to New Orleans helping us rebuild.” “New Orleans, Baptists arrived in this city early in the 1800’s. It’s been a tough ministry, but we’re still here. We intend to be with you all the way.” “A new New Orleans will rise from this devastation. God will do a new thing in this city!” That sort of thing.

And we will invite the city to our Prayer Rally that night.

Just as we invite you now:

“Your brothers and sisters of many denominations will be gathering for a time of praise and thanksgiving and intercession for this city this Tuesday evening, August 29, 7 pm, at the First Baptist Church of New Orleans, 5290 Canal Boulevard. You are cordially invited to join them. If unable to be attend, we will appreciate your prayers from wherever you may be.”