The Cecilia Mission used to meet in a converted bar –
now, they meet in an old pizza parlor.
Soon, they hope to be meeting in a brand new church building.
Change continues.
The Cecilia Mission used to meet in a converted bar –
now, they meet in an old pizza parlor.
Soon, they hope to be meeting in a brand new church building.
Change continues.
What began as a small, in-home Bible study in 1994 has grown
into a family church almost ready to stand on its own merit.
With between 40 and 60 people in attendance weekly, the mission
in Cecilia, just five miles to the north of Breaux Bridge, plans to seek a charter
to receive full-time church status.
The mission was begun by Roland Fontenot, who was the pastor
of nearby First Baptist Church of Arnaudville at the time. From its launch,
the missions focus mainly was on reaching children.
The mission congregation began to experience rapid growth when
Francis Soileau became the pastor.
“He was the one who really got it going as far as reaching
adults,” says Perry Hubbs, pastor at First Baptist Church of Opelousas,
which serves as the Cecilia Missions sponsoring church. “When Francis
came, they went from about 20 children to 30 children and adults.”
The current pastor, Bill Inman, became involved in the Cecilia
Mission in 1999, when he began substituting for Soileau.
Inman was a member at First Baptist Church of Opelousas, but
he served as interim pastor at Cecilia Mission until members called him to be
their bivocational pastor in May 2002.
“I didnt know exactly what the Lord had in store,”
Inman says. “I had really felt that he was calling me, but I never could
get a hold on how.”
Inman says he believes pastoring Cecilia Mission is where he
needs to be. He accepted the call to become the pastor and was ordained as a
minister in Sept. 2002.
About a year ago, when the churchs attendance had begun
to exceed the capacity of the facility where they had been meeting, members
began to discuss the possibility of building.
Inman says that the building they currently meet in is filled
with 60 people and only has three class rooms.
A new building will give the mission more meeting space for
Sunday School as well as “room for growth,” Inman says.
The church recently purchased five acres on a busy street near
the local high school, library and recreation center.
The location will allow the mission – which Hubbs says
was the first evangelical church in Cecilia – to have a large impact on
the community.
“Within a five mile radius, we have a population of 15,000,”
Inman notes.
However, raising funds to equal the $200,000 building cost
was something members had to trust God to do.
They have received more than $96,000 from the Louisiana Baptist
Convention missions committee, the sponsoring and co-sponsoring churches and
Parkside Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, a large contributor to the building
effort.
Inman says anyone who gives to the Cooperative Program is partly
to thank for the opportunity, money and prayers that will make the building
program a success.
“Everybody who gives to the Cooperative Program has contributed
a little bit to who we are,” he says.
“They can give, and they can pray, and these are the effects
of all of that.”
Exterior work on the church was to begin last week – and
Inman says he hopes to have the inside ready to begin work by June.
Soon after the building is finished, the Cecilia Mission will
be working to become First Baptist Church of Cecilia.
Hubbs says he is excited about this time in the life of the
Cecilia Mission.
“We are looking forward to the day they do charter,”
he emphasizes.
“That is what it is all about.”