This
Louisiana Crossroads feature was written by Stacy Whitlow, Baptist Message summer
intern. Crossroads features highlight personalities and places throughout the
state.
This Louisiana Crossroads feature was written by Stacy
Whitlow, Baptist Message summer intern. Crossroads features highlight personalities
and places throughout the state.
The Allen family is taking a long
step of faith – all the way from Louisiana to a small mountain town in northern
Montana.
Indeed, the family will be leaving career, family, friends
and the community they have known all of their lives – all for the sake of the
gospel.
Doug Allen has served as the Eighth Judicial District judge
in Winnfield for 15 years, but he is retiring early to become full-time pastor
of a church in Cut Bank, Montana, a town of some 3,500 people that lies just
a few dozen miles from Canada. Allen has served as bivocational pastor of Calvary
Baptist Church in Tullos since 1996.
Allen, his wife, Marsha, and their youngest son, Peter, are
scheduled to arrive this week in Cut Bank. The family will serve at Mountain
View Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation with about 10 to 12 active
members.
The move brings about various adjustments for the family, including
a much colder climate and a different culture, Allen notes. Cut Bank is on the
edge of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and the towns population consists
mostly of Caucasians and Native Americans.
However, perhaps the biggest change will be leaving their family
and friends, Allen says. The Allen family has been in Winnfield for generations
– Allens father was a district judge, and his grandfather served in Congress.
“Ive lived here all of my life except for school.
But, God has made it known its his plans, not our plans,” Allen says.
The move is even more difficult because it will separate the
family. Allens two older children, Rebecca, 20, and Matthew, 18, are students
at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches and will stay to complete their
education.
Allen admits the difficulty of leaving while his children are
in college but says he has faith that God will keep them safe. “God just
keeps whispering in our ear Youve got to trust me. Theyre
going to be okay,” Allen says.
“Gods going to use them where they are, too.”
Allen and his wife say they have felt called into home missions
for a long time and determined not to shut out any possibilities. After friends
visited Cut Bank during a mission trip, they told the family about the churchs
pastoral need. Allen contacted the church, and they have worked toward the move
for the last 17 months. Although the location is a huge change, they feel the
biggest issue is their commitment – not the fact that they are moving 2,100
miles away from home, Allen says.
“The issue is us stepping out in faith,” he emphasizes.
“The place of service is not the issue.”
He refers to Luke 18:29, which says “no one who has left
home . . . for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times
as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”
This passage has helped the family commit to the Montana church
and helped calm their fears and doubts during the preparation, Allen says.
Last summer, the Allen family and a group from their church
and First Baptist Church of Natchitoches took a mission trip to Cut Bank. They
worked to address the churchs physical needs and mingled with the community
people as well. The experiences on the trip gave them a feel for what awaits
them, Allen notes.
Even though they have to leave familiar surroundings, the Allens
have received support from the community and are eager to begin their ministry
in Cut Bank, he adds.
“Weve gotten just a wide range of supportive prayer
and encouragement,” Allen says.
Marsha Allen says the move and the committment is an everyday
adjustment. “Weve had doubts along the way, but as long as we daily
seek the Lord, he gives us scriptures and people that affirm and encourage us,”
she says.
The move brings about a change of pace for Allen.
Since 1996, he has been busy with his responsibilities as a
judge and as a pastor. In addition, he graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological
Seminary last year with a master of divinity degree. Allens life was very
busy during that time, he says.
“It (the move) will allow me to do so many things in the
ministry that I havent been able to do,” he points out. “Thats
one of the doors that has opened now.”
Ministry to Native Americans is a slow, difficult ministry,
Allen says. The percentage of Christians in the Native American population has
remained unchanged in the past 200 years, he notes. Establishing trusting relationships
with them will take time but only then can one minister to the people, Allen
explains.
Allen says he has talked with other ministers from the area,
and they tell him,”The work is very slow, very hard, but the rewards are
incredible.”
In the surrounding county of 2 million acres, there are only
12,000 people, and 7,000 are Native Americans, Allen says. Because of their
differing spiritual beliefs, that translates to a lot of unchurched people in
the area, he notes.
There is only one Southern Baptist church in each community,
Marsha Allen says. However, churches of all denominations work together to reach
the community.
“Theres a real sense of unity and purpose among
the churches,” her husband adds.
The Allens plan to work together in the community using their
individual talents and abilities.
Marsha Allen plays the piano and is active in childrens
ministries. Mountain View is without an instrumentalist and currently has only
one child at the church, so she can serve in those capacities.
In addition, Doug Allen has agricultural experience, which
will enable him to establish relationships in the mostly rural and agricultural
area. “I dont think we saw Gods hand at the moment, but when
we look back, we see how he has prepared us (for this),” Allen says.
Their son, Peter, 13, will have an opportunity to set a Christian
example in his school, Marsha Allen says. In addition, he will provide his parents
a chance to get involved with others through the school system.
“Its a wide-open mission field,” Doug Allen
says.
He says he plans to work toward establishing the church by
working within the community and getting to know the people. “Well
go over there and just help people,” he says.
Several groups from Louisiana and Florida are scheduled to
visit this summer to help with outreach and other projects. Some local churches
also are contributing monthly to help the Allens and their new church. Allen
says God has worked through these people to affirm their call and also to have
them involved in their ministry in Cut Bank.
The family has committed to the call to Cut Bank openly – and
have set no time limits to their ministry in that area.
“Whats God going to do in the future? We have no
idea,” Allen acknowledges.
“We dont have any idea where itll end up.
Were committed to him being the one that gets the glory in this.”