2018 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 28
BY SENATOR GATTI AND REPRESENTATIVE REYNOLDS
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To commend and congratulate the First Baptist Church of Minden for its rich history and the
faithful foundation upon which it was built.
WHEREAS, on February 4, 2018, the First Baptist Church of Minden had a Special
Reunion Dedication Service, "Remembering the Past, Celebrating the Present, and with a
Vision for the Future", dedicating the newly renovated facilities, including the children's,
preschool, youth, and adult education facilities, auditorium, and kitchen; and
WHEREAS, the Minden Baptist Church was organized with four charter members,
R. L. Horn, Phebe Bird, Thomas Lovel, and Sarah Drew, on December 29, 1844, when two
sessions were held that day under the leadership of two men from the Rehoboth Church of
Mt. Lebanon, Elders W. J. Larkin and L. L. Washburne, with the meeting likely being held
in the home of Mrs. Drew; and
WHEREAS, from these beginnings, the small congregation in what was then a
community on the frontier, less than fifty miles from the international border with the
Republic of Texas, continued to increase in number; and
WHEREAS, in 1846, the church moved into its first house of worship, located on
what is today the southeast corner of the intersection of Lee Street and Broadway, and that
building was the home of the congregation for the next fifty-six years, longer than any other
house of worship; and
WHEREAS, as Minden grew, the Minden Baptist Church grew, slowly but steadily,
until a major disruption of the church membership came in 1865 and 1866 when nearly fifty
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members of the congregation, freed slaves, were granted letters of dismissal to unite with
the newly formed St. Rest's Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, by 1878, the church rolls listed fifty-four members, but over the next
decade the membership more than doubled, and it was during these years problems began
to surface with the church building; and
WHEREAS, in 1901, the new Minden Mill of the Bodcau Lumber Company opened
and brought a newfound prosperity and the Minden Baptist Church became financially able
to construct a new building, an impressive brick structure located on what is today the front
parking lot of the Minden Medical Center on Main Street; and
WHEREAS, in 1902, the church entered this building, remarkable for its indoor
baptistry with glass walls and the first electric lights in the church, but after entering the new
building, membership stabilized and actually dropped; and
WHEREAS, after the church built a third home in 1925, the second house of worship
was later remodeled and became the Rex Theatre; and
WHEREAS, in the years immediately after World War I, Minden and the church
began a period of rapid growth, and by 1924, it was clear that the Minden Baptist Church
had outgrown its relatively new home, only being home to the congregation for twenty-three
years; and
WHEREAS, in preparation for building a new church home, the congregation
reorganized in the early spring of 1924; its newly chartered name became the First Baptist
Church of Minden; and
WHEREAS, the English property at the corner of Broadway and First Street was
purchased as a site for the new church building, and being aided greatly by the philanthropy
of Joseph G. and Nancy Mullins Ferguson, the new home of the First Baptist Church was
completed and ready to be occupied by the end of April 1925; however, the first event in the
church occurred in February when church organist Miss Lavinia Shealy was married to Mr.
Bert David in the unfurnished church; and
WHEREAS, the first event in the church after completion was the funeral of former
United States Congressman John T. Watkins of Minden, a former president of the Louisiana
Baptist Convention; and
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WHEREAS, the church increased its membership more than one hundred percent in
eight years, a rapid growth which continued unchecked over the next few years; and
WHEREAS, by 1939, the church boasted over one thousand eight hundred members
and was one of the largest Southern Baptist churches in Louisiana, the all-time peak
membership being recorded four years later in 1943 when the church roll included the names
of two thousand two hundred forty-six persons; and
WHEREAS, in 1944, the First Baptist Church of Minden celebrated its centennial
and also played host to the annual meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, the fifth
time the church served as host; and
WHEREAS, in the years after the war, resident membership continued to boom,
peaking in 1949, but over the next few years the membership dropped off a little as the
religious community in Minden grew; and
WHEREAS, the Sibley Road Mission of the First Baptist Church was established,
taking members from the mother congregation, and that church later became the Southside
Baptist Church and is today the North Acres Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, one other local church, the Germantown Baptist Church, began as a
mission of First Baptist and, in addition, other Southern Baptist churches were established
in Minden, so although Minden was growing, the membership at FBC did not keep pace; and
WHEREAS, during the 1960s, growth began again at First Baptist as Dr. Ronald
Prince was called as pastor in November 1966, and his dynamic leadership sparked a new
time of increase; resident membership climbed back over the one thousand six hundred mark
for the first time in nearly a decade in 1969, and by the time Dr. Prince retired from the
pulpit in 1987, had reached one thousand eight hundred twenty-two; and
WHEREAS, under the leadership of the Rev. Wayne Dubose, pastor from
2001-2009, the church enjoyed a new period of growth and continues to prosper under its
current pastor, Rev. Leland Crawford and his wife Rose; and
WHEREAS, the success of the state of Louisiana, the strength of our communities,
and the overall vitality of American society depend, in great measure, upon the faithful
dedication of people like the founders, forefathers, and members of churches like the First
Baptist Church of Minden.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend and congratulate the First Baptist Church of Minden for its rich history and the
faithful foundation upon which it was built, and does hereby extend best wishes for
continued growth and prosperity.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Reverend Leland Crawford.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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