By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
LAKE CHARLES, La. (LBM) – During the 2026 Louisiana Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, Nov. 10, hosted by Trinity Baptist Church, Lake Charles, Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn urged messengers to cooperate as they seek to reach the 4.6 million people who live in Louisiana.
HERE FOR YOU
Horn highlighted two ways the state missions services staff has strived to be there for Louisiana Baptists.
IRS letters
The Louisiana Baptist Convention has mailed letters to churches to explain a change by the Internal Revenue Service in how it qualifies group exemptions for houses of worship.
2026-8, issued by the IRS in January, ended the freeze on group exemption letter applications that had been in place since 2020. The new IRS rule also modified what churches must do to be part of an umbrella Group Exemption like the one granted to the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
Now Louisiana Baptist congregations must complete a form by Nov. 30 that declares their desire to participate in the LBC Group Exemption, instead of relying on the IRS to presume their participation by way of affiliation with the LBC.
Insurance cooperative
Two information sessions for a proposed faith-based cooperative were held Oct. 22 at the Baptist Building and another Nov. 9 at Trinity Baptist before the LBC Annual Meeting.
The faith-based cooperative, known as the Fellowship of Louisiana Churches and Nonprofit Religious Organizations, was authorized by Act 259 in 2023 and a one-time “launch” appropriation was approved in 2025 as part of Act 461. However, lawmakers needed to address four additional policy points.
“We are closer now than we have ever been before,” Horn said. “We’ve been delayed by various things, including some additional legislative issues that needed to be addressed in order for us to be to move forward. The good news is that we were able to get these changes written into the law, so that though delayed, we are back to work getting the program in a presentable fashion.
“And so, it’s really time to hear from you,” he continued. “We’re really interested in this endeavor. Much has changed since we first started talking about this four years ago, including some new players in the Louisiana market that might better be suited for you, and that is fine.”
2026 HIGHLIGHTS
Serve Tour
Horn said that the recent SEND Relief Serve Tour was a success and could even lead to an annual event in the state.
The collaborative effort, in partnership with the North American Mission Board, Northeast Louisiana Baptist Association and Louisiana Baptist Convention, involved 1,070 volunteers, collectively, from 76 churches who participated in 48 service projects throughout northeast Louisiana as the foundation for evangelism. Projects included 10 block parties, eight grill walks (teams knocking on doors and offering hamburgers, chips and drinks to start Gospel conversations), church building upgrades, school improvement projects and paying for locals’ laundry at four laundromats.
The weekend of evangelistic outreach, Aug. 21-22, produced a spiritual harvest of at least 81 known professions of faith during the Serve Tour in Morehouse, Ouachita and Richland parishes.
Horn shared that Louisiana was issued a challenge by Serve Tour to hold similar events in the state, and he offered that the next one could take place as soon as the spring of 2028.
“We told you last year when we met that this weekend would be a highlight of the year and for those who participated and those who received help, it was,” he said. “This, in my opinion, is an example of cooperation at its best.”
Listening sessions
Horn said that 33 listening tour sessions related to the Cooperative Program were attended by 551 people representing 367 churches. He said that the key “take-aways” from the tours were:
— presence is the key to relationships;
— communication holes exist;
— the LBC needs to better organize around the mission of the church;
— expectations about the LBC vary based on the church’s ethnic identity, size and location (urban or rural); and
— everyone wants Louisiana Baptists to rally around the Gospel and the lostness of Louisiana.
NEW INITIATIVES
Horn said that three initiatives will be implemented next year: CP small groups curriculum, evangelism and baptisms as well as a renewed strategy on prayer.
CP curriculum
Horn said Cooperative Program small groups curriculum will launch in 2027. Written by LBC President Kirk Jones and state missions services staff, the four-week curriculum will focus on biblical foundation, historical success, current potential and future potential of cooperation.
“Every generation of Southern Baptists must be educated about the Cooperative Program,” he said. “But more than educated, every generation must catch the vision of our cooperation. But more than education and vision, every generation must see the value in our cooperation.”
Increase in baptisms
Horn shared a goal to increase baptisms by 7 percent each year over the next seven years. If achieved, that would move the state’s total from 8,988 baptisms in 2025 to approximately 15,500 by 2033.
He said that executive directors in other state conventions have a similar goal to help their states increase baptisms through 2033. If all the state conventions achieve that same goal by 2033, then baptisms for the Southern Baptist Convention would be the highest in any year ever, eclipsing the 445,725 new believers who were baptized in 1972.
“Now, some people are going to say ‘that can’t happen, that can’t be done, that’s an impossibility,’” he said. “Well, the Bible says that ‘with God, all things are possible.’”
Prayer
Horn said the greatest resource for evangelism is prayer, and to that end he is asking Louisiana Baptists to come together to seek God for the lost of Louisiana, and for revival among those who already are believers. Associations will be encouraged to have an evening of prayer, pastors will be called upon to dedicate a Sunday morning to prayer, and every Louisiana Baptist will be challenged to pray at 10:02 a.m. or 10:02 p.m. based on Luke 10:2 “He told them ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’” (NIV).
Horn said his heart’s desire is to see the people of Louisiana turn to Jesus.
“There are 4.6 million people living among us in Louisiana, and every single one of them needs the Gospel,” he said. “It’s going to take all of us.”
HONORING SAYLOR
Horn also honored Jeannie Saylor, who will retire on Dec. 31 after serving with the state missions services staff for 36 years (including the last 18 years as executive administrative assistant to the executive director).
“I feel like you, the messengers, would want to have a moment to express your gratitude to Jeannie,” he said. “And so, Jeannie, you are loved by Louisiana Baptists.”
