By Message Staff
Three Louisiana Baptist associations previously under one director of missions have reorganized under a new structure of leadership.
With the May 31 retirement of Alan Knuckles, who served as director of missions for the associations, the Louisiana Baptist Association called Jacob Crawford as its leader and Mt. Olive Baptist Association asked Wayne Jenkins to serve in an interim capacity. Acadia Baptist Association is searching for its director of missions.
CRAWFORD DOUBLES UP
Crawford will remain as pastor of Life Point Community Church in Mansura, a church he began in 2007.
Life Point has since planted locations in Bunkie, Cottonport, Plaucheville and Simmesport. The church, which averages 160 people for Sunday morning worship and baptized 70 individuals in 2016. Additionally, the church also hosts the Mansura Care and Hope Center.
A graduate of Louisiana College and Liberty University, Crawford said he is excited about how God will continue to use his association’s churches as they try to reap a great harvest of souls.
“I see God doing an amazing thing in our association,” said Crawford, who was voted in as director of missions May 22. “There is so much potential here and God has blessed us with wonderful pastors and churches.
“It’s an honor to be able to serve the pastors and churches of the Louisiana Association,” he continued. “Our goal is to impact the lostness in our area by focusing on outreach, church health and leadership development.”
Jenkins began serving as director of missions in April and will continue serving as Louisiana Baptists director of evangelism and church growth.
Jenkins said he hopes to rally churches in his association to participate in the Harvest, a statewide, church-driven effort to pray for every home and share with every person.
He said that during the interim he is assisting with organization and Harvest planning.
PREPARING FOR RETIREMENT
For his six years of service to the three associations, Knuckles will be honored Saturday, June 3 during a reception at First Baptist Church in Eunice from 2 to 4 p.m.
Knuckles said as he approached retirement age he felt God was calling them to step aside from serving the 104 churches and missions as their director of missions.
“As my wife and I prayed about this decision, God gave us great peace about what we had accomplished and He had other ministries for us,” said Knuckles, who began serving as director of missions for the three associations Dec. 1, 2010. “Basically we felt released from the calling.
“I really believe that being a pastor to pastors is a calling,” he continued. “We are not leaving ministry but simple moving to another phase of our ministry. Also, I believe that baby boomers need to step back and let the younger generations lead. My generation has a lot of work to do for the Lord but we need to become the servants and let those coming up lead.”
