The parishes of Webster and Claiborne in the northwestern part of the state form the boundaries for this Baptist association, which serves 42 mission-minded churches. Randy Hales is director of missions.
WEBSTER-CLAIBORNE ASSOCIATION – The parishes of Webster and Claiborne in the northwestern part of the state form the boundaries for this Baptist association, which serves 42 mission-minded churches. Randy Hales is director of missions.
Webster Parish provides visitors and residents alike the best of both worlds: a rural setting that offers a variety of outdoor pursuits right next door to a metropolitan area – Shreveport – that offers a plethora of urban activities. The parish, set in Northwest Louisiana’s rolling red clay hills, boasts tall pine forests and hardwood bottoms watered by twin bayous – Dorcheat and Bodcaw – as well as LakeBistineau.
Claiborne Parish, east of Webster and named for the first American governor of Louisiana, William Charles Cole Claiborne, also is set in the scenic hill country of forests, fields, and streams, with two lakes – Corney and Lake Claiborne – bejeweling the landscape.
Webster-Claiborne Association ministers to a combined population of more than 59,000 people, as well as others drawn by numerous festivals and fairs, bluegrass and country music shows, and museums and historic buildings.
Interstate 20, which dissects the southern portion of Webster Parish, provides a field ready for harvest for the churches of the association, as many pour themselves into a truck stop ministry that has been supplying stocked Bible-racks, goodie bags and chaplains to truckers for at least three years. As of now, the ministry has gained access to nine truck stops on the interstate.
The project, founded by Hales, was inspired by a North American Mission Board challenge to consider doing chaplaincy work for specialty areas.
The association is also involved in two prison ministries, one at Arcadia jail and the other at Bayou Dorcheat prison facility.
All churches in the association – as well as the Bienville Baptist Association – provide Bibles for both the prison and truck stop ministries, Hales said. Thus far, at least 7,000 Bibles have been distributed through both ministries.
Youth Challenge, a National Guard program for at-risk youth also takes place at CampMinden, providing an open door for the gospel, Hales said. Tom Carleton, Missions Chairman for the association and pastor at DoylineBaptistChurch, coordinates area churches in ministering to the youth through leading devotions on Sundays. Every year 30 to 60 teens are won to the Lord through this mission, Hales said.
At BistineauBaptistChurch, the congregation conducts an annual singing in honor of B.B. McKinney, musician and composer of many familiar hymns, who grew up in the area. A monument to the man also is on the property, Hales said
In addition, the association offers Granberry Counseling and conducts an African American Ministry, a Hispanic Ministry, and makes use of a Mission Builders’ Trailer.
Very active in the evacuation of New Orleans by serving thousands of people who stayed in the areas camps for weeks, the Webster-Claiborne Association has also built a Mobile Laundry Unit and has adopted LakesideBaptistChurch in New Orleans. Plans are in effect to continue sending $1500 a month to the church at least until October of 2007.
The newly established Sloe Riders – a motorcycle riders’ group named for the purple fruit of the Blackthorn tree and meant to bring to mind the state colors of purple and gold – operate under the motto “By their fruits you will know them.” The group, the brainchild of Deacon Jimmy Downs at North Acres Baptist in Minden, attempts to reach out to motorcycle riders on the fringe of church involvement.
Harris Baptist Assembly, also supported by the association, has grown much in the last year, reported Mike Latham, camp manager. A record high attendance of 781 people in 2006 represented an increase in attendance of more than 70 percent over the last three years.
In addition, the camp received many upgrades in 2006, Latham said in his report to the association. The gymnasium and chapel area both were re-roofed, the kitchen got a new walk-in cooler, the dining hall a new buffet line with steam table, the motel rooms all new linens, the chapel a new sound and light system, and the conference center new carpet, to name only a few of the improvements.
The Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Louisiana Tech also receives support from the Webster-Claiborne association.
Then-Director Linda Osborne reported the ministry made more than 8,000 servant evangelism contacts last year, with 20 student conversions and 349 professions of faith involving their 21 summer missionaries.
In addition, BCM students have been active in disaster relief, gutting homes in New Orleans during their fall break in 2005 and their spring break in 2006.
Construction of the new BCM facility at Louisiana Tech is slated to begin this summer. A new BCM director is expected to be onsite by April.
Rolling Hills Ministries in Ruston, which also receives support from the association, operates a thrift store, provides disaster relief with its feeding unit and chainsaw unit, and also provides day camps and Sunday worship services in four state parks, including the parks at LakeBistineau and LakeClaiborne.