By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer
BOGALUSA, La. (LBM) – The Baptist Associations of Southeast Louisiana has named member pastor Keith Sheridan to serve as the next associational missions strategist.
Sheridan, pastor of Lee’s Creek Baptist Church in Bogalusa for the last five years, will begin serving in his new role August 9. While this is his first time to serve as a director of missions, Sheridan believes his experience at churches and in associational life has prepared him for this next chapter in ministry.
“I am both excited and terrified,” Sheridan told the Baptist Message. “DOM’s have an awesome responsibility. One can’t help but feel excitement for the opportunity that God has afforded me and the trust the pastors of BASELA are sharing with me. We are truly blessed in BASELA with some of the greatest pastors in the state. It will be a joy to serve alongside of them.”
CALLED TO SERVE
Sheridan repented for salvation at age 10 while attending Memorial Baptist Church in Bogalusa but strayed from his faith as a teenager. However, he experienced a spiritual revival while attending a Heaven’s Gate, Hell’s Flames event when he was 25 years old and four years later accepted the call to vocational ministry.
“I had recognized as a young man that I had allowed the world to get in the way of my relationship with the Lord,” Sheridan said. “I chased financial success but found myself convicted that there was more to this life. Since I made that commitment at 25, I have been fully sold out to Christ ever since.”
During the years that followed, Sheridan served as interim pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Bogalusa, and pastor of Plainview Baptist Church in Bogalusa, First Baptist Church in Pine Prairie and Lee’s Creek Baptist. Sheridan remained active in associational life: He was moderator of Mt. Olive Baptist Association; and served as pastors conference chairman for Washington Baptist Association, one of three BASELA associations (Two Rivers and William Wallace also are members).
He also was a member of the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board, served as a ReGroup Sunday school training conference consultant and was named to the President’s 2020 Commission, which, in 2013, developed 10 statewide objectives for reaching Louisiana with the Gospel by 2020.
Sheridan, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, is a graduate of Louisiana State University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Suzanne, have three children and one grandchild.
GOD-SIZED VISION
A top priority for Sheridan will be leading the association’s 96 churches to a deeper involvement in missions at every level.
“I believe the associational missions strategist serves local churches in fulfilling God’s great mission for His church,” Sheridan said. “The mission of the church at its simplest level is to preach the Gospel and make disciples. All church work revolves around this mission and is accomplished in a multitude of ways.
“The association and its ministry teams aid churches in fulfilling this mission by training, encouraging, and equipping leaders, connecting people in ministry, facilitating cooperative missions and ministry opportunities including disaster relief, prison ministry and compassion ministry etc. and promoting the health of local congregations,” he continued. “I know that as I get my feet on the ground and begin this work the Lord will enlarge our understanding and increase our vision. I am grateful to serve with Kim Gill (administrative assistant) and Patrick Magee (BASELA compassion ministry strategist and pastor, Main Street Baptist Church, Franklinton) who both exemplify Christian service, commitment and love. It is going to be a fun ride. “
