By Jamie Stephens, Regional Reporter
SPEARSVILLE- As a farm boy, Joe Aulds was focused on building a future in agriculture – serving as president of 4-H and FFA and winning grand champion awards at livestock shows.
But, he said his life was never the same after the day, during his senior year of high school in 1966, when he admitted to his pastor from Camp Creek Baptist Church that he was tired of running from God and wanted to surrender to His will.
“Two years prior to the moment when I admitted to Reverend [William] Cottrell that I wanted to stop running from God, I already knew in my heart that God was calling me to ministry, but I had been afraid of surrendering,” explained Aulds.
[restrict]According to him, all doubts about God’s plans for his life disappeared at right then and there with Pastor Cottrell and he surrendered his heart and life to Christ.
In 1966, two months before turning 18 years old, he started classes at Louisiana College, and upon graduating in 1970, enrolled with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned his degree in 1973.
Shortly thereafter he married, and he and his wife Donna began their lifelong ministry together – first at Marion First Baptist in Union Parish where he served for four years and then at Pinecroft Baptist in Shreveport, for over nine years.
During these years, Aulds felt God calling him into evangelism but he resisted, accepting the pastorate at Temple Baptist Church in Winnsboro.
“I told [the congregation] I would stay for one year, but during my time there, God’s Spirit began to move,” he said, and after baptizing 172 people his first year, he felt he needed to stay. Then more than 300 people received Christ in just three months of his second year there.
“We didn’t have any evangelists scheduled, but it just started happening, and it impacted the entire area,” Aulds explained.
He served two more years with Temple Baptist before finally surrendering to become a fulltime harvest evangelist in 1990, going on to reach multitudes across 38 states in the United States and even in foreign lands.
“There were over 2,000 people saved in churches and schools in the Philippines, and several churches were started on my first trip there,” Aulds said.
“A few people offered to contribute to our ministry through the years because they felt led to help, which was very generous of them, but we never once asked for money from any individuals, churches, or revivals to assist us,” he offered about God’s provision for his ministry and family.
He has preached at over 900 revivals and crusades, served as vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and served four terms as president of LACOSBE (Louisiana Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists). He has chaired multiple committees and served Southern Baptists in offices at the association, state, and national levels.
During Easter Sunday at his home church, the Camp Creek Baptist congregation celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also honored Aulds for his 50-year milestone in serving the Lord – and several notable Southern Baptists contributed to the recognition.
Former SBC President Jerry Vines offered that “Wherever Joe Aulds goes, God uses him. He has led all three churches he pastored to the greatest growth in their history. God has done the same with him in evangelism.”
His former congregations each averaged 100 baptisms annually and surged in Sunday school attendance and discipleship participation under his leadership.
Evangelist Junior Hill from Hartselle, Ala., said, “Reverend Aulds is a man on fire for God. He preaches the Gospel simply but powerfully, and God is blessing in an unusual way.”
Aulds said family is also very important to him, and he and his wife have three grown children with grandchildren who he says have added to their joy. “I am not retiring from my years of ministry, but I do think it is time to slow down and begin spending more time with my family.”
He plans to continue preaching several revivals a year, but not as many as in the past.
Instead, he plans to do more Harvest Days and weekend events. He will also still pursue his mission work overseas and in the United States.
“Donna and I will continue making trips to the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, West Texas, and the East Coast,” he said. “We will also still visit other churches and continue missions in South Louisiana. They are and will continue to be our extended families.”
Aulds and his wife are active members of Calvary Baptist Church in Ruston and have been attending for 26 years.
He believes the Lord will continue using him as His servant wherever he goes, but the Aulds family will be spending more time with their children and grandchildren for now, with short term plans for a vacation soon to Branson, Missouri, which has always been one of their favorite spots.
He also plans to spend more time raising cattle on their family farm.[/restrict]