By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor
COVINGTON, La. (LBM) – Waylon Bailey, longtime pastor and Louisiana Baptist statesman, shared with First Baptist Church, Covington, that he will retire early next year.
Bailey and his wife, Martha, informed members simultaneously via email and a live broadcast on Saturday evening, Nov. 14, saying in part that they “have been seeking the Lord’s guidance” and that after “much prayer and many conversations, we have a sense that this is the right time.”
They also noted that the pastoral advisory team had completed “three years of prayer and hard work” in searching for the next pastor and would name the proposed candidate during a regular congregational meeting, Wednesday, Nov. 18, “as well as give all the details about when and how that candidate will be voted on in accordance with our church bylaws.”
KINGDOM IMPACT
Bailey has led FBC Covington since 1989. His journey there included four pastorates (1966-1978), with two in Louisiana — First Baptist Church, Donaldsonville, and Superior
Avenue Baptist Church, Bogalusa.
In 1978, he was named chair of the Division of Biblical Studies and as professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and continued in that post for six years after joining Covington.
He has been a statesman and leader in the Louisiana Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention, alike, serving in various denominational positions.
With the SBC Bailey served on the Credentials Committee (which determines whether a church is in friendly cooperation with the SBC, and whether to seat its messengers to the annual business meeting), Committee on Committees (which names the members of the Committee on Nominations), and recently chaired the Committee on Nominations (which has far-reaching influence within the SBC because it places trustees with the 11 Convention entities and the Executive Committee, the fiduciary, fiscal and administrative body that acts on behalf of the SBC between annual meetings).
In 2016, the North American Mission Board, which is the domestic mission arm for the SBC, named him an ambassador because of his wide-ranging relationships and mentoring with pastors in Louisiana and across the country. He has since been an official national spokesman for the Cooperative Program, the primary funding channel for Southern Baptists’ state and national causes, and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, which helps fund NAMB’s missionaries on the field.
He has been active in the LBC as well, most notably serving as president of the state Convention in 2012 and 2013. He led Louisiana Baptist congregations to adopt the recommendations of the 2020 Commission, composed of 400 members (20 volunteers on 20 subcommittees) who developed a seven-year strategic ministry initiative during his presidency to maximize the effectiveness of Louisiana Baptists in sharing the Gospel, planting churches, and reaching the lost through the year 2020. His leadership of this initiative set the foundation for five straight years of increased baptisms by Louisiana Baptist congregations (2021-2025).
He has been equally impactful as pastor with First Baptist Church, Covington, growing the congregation from 300 in worship attendance in downtown facilities to more than 2,500 on its current campus, where it has become a regional influence for faith and family. Since relocating in 2001, FBC Covington has baptized and discipled almost 3,000 new believers.
Martha Bailey has been a ministry helpmate to her husband, as well as an influencer for Christ in her own right. She was a young adult teacher for more than 20 years, and a women’s community outreach Bible study teacher for 29 years. She is a much sought-after speaker for Christian women’s events and is a popular writer and internet personality about faith, having published four inspirational and devotional books for women.
She also was a marriage and family therapist, as well as a grade school teacher.
He is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and earned his master’s degree and doctorate from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She graduated from University of New Orleans and earned her master’s degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
They are natives of Brantley, Alabama, and have two adult daughters, three grandsons and one granddaughter.
GRATITUDE
“Martha and I do not have any hesitation in saying that you are what we will miss most,” Bailey emphasized to the FBCC congregation. “I certainly will miss the sound of the trumpets in the morning and the opportunity that is given me to proclaim the Gospel. You are an amazing people. You have worked to make our vision statement who we are. We’ve all understood that ‘We exist to help people know and accept Jesus Christ, and through Him experience life-changing relationships.’”
“Covington is our home, and you are our people, and we don’t want any of that to change,” he added. “I intend to preach well into January, and then to do all within my power to make this a joyful transition from one senior pastor to the other.
“So, for now,” he closed, “please pray for us, pray for the church and all of its decisions, and pray for the favor of God on our lives.
