By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
FOREST HILL (LBM) – Michael Evans will be nominated for the office of second vice president for the Louisiana Baptist Convention during the 2017 LBC Annual Meeting.
Tim Lee, pastor of Smyrna Baptist Church in DeRidder, plans to nominate Evans for the position.
“Mike is very mission minded and sees the best in people,” said Lee, who has been mentored by Evans for 22 years. “He loves the church and the mission of the church, and he has a heart for evangelism and for just encouraging and uplifting others. His example as second vice president would greatly benefit all Louisiana Baptists.”
Evans, who is pastor of Elwood Baptist Church in Forest Hill, is the only announced candidate for the office.
Evans said, if elected, he would be honored to represent his fellow bi-vocational and smaller church pastors with the state convention. Elwood Baptist Church averages 75 in worship service and 50 in Sunday school attendance, according to Annual Church Profile statistics.
He said he also would like to help facilitate greater cooperation and stronger fellowship among pastors of churches of all sizes.
“I would like to see the Barnabas spirit spread throughout our Convention,” he said. “Barnabas’ passion was to help Paul and others with that gift of encouragement. I would like to see that spirit manifested in the LBC where we share each other’s burdens, resources and expertise.”
According to church records, last year, Evans’ congregation contributed 16 percent of undesignated receipts to Cooperative Program supported ministries.
The church also is committed to the Great Commission, baptizing six new believers last year, ACP records show.
Evans said 18 people accepted Christ this year during the church’s Vacation Bible School in July – including five Hispanic children whose parents work at nurseries around Forest Hill.
The congregation raised money to purchase a boat for a missionary who ministers to families in a fishing village in Greenland, and, also bought a portable baptistery for a church plant in Ireland.
The church also has signed up for the Harvest, Louisiana Baptists’ effort to “pray for every home and share Christ with every person.” Evans said he and his members will take part in a crusade in 2018 with other churches from Big Creek, Central Louisiana and North Rapides associations.
“The Harvest is important because it fulfills the Great Commission and involves so many churches both big and small working together,” Evans said. “It was Jesus’ command to go and we want to be a part of that happening in our community and parish.”
Before coming to Elwood, Evans was a consultant with the Louisiana Baptist Convention who helped raise money toward the completion of the Georgia Barnette Conference Center at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center in Woodworth.
He has served as pastor of Occupy Two Baptist Church in Pitkin and as assistant pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Forest Hill.
Active in Louisiana Baptist life, Evans is a trustee for Louisiana College and the Louisiana Baptist Federal Credit Union.
He also served as an executive board member for Beauregard Baptist Association in 2011-12.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches.
Evans and his wife Betty live in Forest Hill.
