By Marilyn Stewart, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary communications
PHOENIX (BP) — Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, said he began his ministry as a street preacher who didn’t know anything about the Southern Baptist Convention.
Luter, a former SBC president, was one of four pastors who gave a “Common Ground Testimony” to encourage those in ministry during the SBC Pastors’ Conference meeting in Phoenix June 11-12.
“I was raised as a National Baptist,” he said. “Someone asked me if I would be interested in submitting my resume to Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. I put in my resume, but I was scared. I had never pastored; I wasn’t ordained; I hadn’t been to seminary yet. But a congregation of 50 people asked me to be their pastor.”
Luter told the audience he was convinced that if they were faithful in four areas, God would bless their ministries.
“First, be faithful to God,” he said. “God called you to ministry. Whatever you do in life, make certain you are faithful to God. When you stand in the pulpit, be faithful to God who called you.”
Second, Luter said, pastors should be faithful to God’s Word.
“Preach it, teach it and live the word of God. If people are saved, it will be because of the Word of God. If your church will be evangelized, it will be because of the Word of God.”
Third, he said it was important pastors be faithful to their wife and their family.
“Brothers, pastors, your family is your first priority, not the church. The church is God’s church — it will go on with or without you. Be faithful to your family. Let the leadership know that your family is your priority. I promise it will make all the difference in the world.”
Finally, Luter advised pastors to be faithful to the church that called them.
“When I went to Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, those people didn’t know how to pronounce my name, but I wanted to be faithful because they gave me a chance. Don’t go somewhere and say you’re only going to be there a short while until something bigger comes along.”
Luter said he had no idea that one day his church would lead the state in baptisms or he would be elected the first African-American president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2012. “I am a living testimony,” he said. “Be faithful to God, and He will be faithful to you.”
