By Message Staff SABINE PARISH – Longtime evangelist Vernon Stephenson has died from injuries sustained from a weekend car accident. Stephenson (73) and his wife Rebecca (74) were traveling east on Highway 6 just west of Highway 476 around 12:20 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, when the single-vehicle accident occurred. According to a release by the Louisiana State Police, the vehicle exited the right side of the road, hit an embankment and rolled over. The driver and passenger spoke with Troopers on the scene. Both gave a detailed account of the events that transpired before being transported to LSU Medical Center in Shreveport for treatment. Vernon Stephenson died later that afternoon from his injuries. His wife sustained minor injuries, according to the report. Stephenson, a vocational evangelist at First Baptist Church in Zwolle and retired missionary at Toledo Bend Baptist Resort Missions, was awarded the "Lifetime Achievement" award at the 2016 State Evangelism Conference in Lafayette on January 27 by the Louisiana Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists. He served as treasurer of the North Sabine Baptist Association, assisted in the music ministry at First Baptist Zwolle and conducted services at the Many Detention … [Read more...]