By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
SHREVEPORT, La. (LMB) – Summer Grove Baptist Church recently celebrated the last payment on $12 million debt that was previously owed for its 900,000-square-foot facility.
Members of the church, who purchased a vacant Shreveport shopping mall in 2003 and relocated there a year later, rejoiced during a unique Nov. 26 note-burning service that featured encouraging remarks by Pastor Heath Peloquin, Pastor Emeritus Wayne DuBose, Pastor Emeritus Billy Crosby and former Senior Pastor Aaron Burgner. Prayers were led by Northwest Baptist Associational Missions Strategist Lane Moore and former church member Ronnie Smith, and there was a substantial celebratory atmosphere.
“I’m so proud of our people because they never stopped giving and never gave up,” Peloquin told the Baptist Message. “This has given us a renewed sense of why God has brought us here to do our part to reach Shreveport and be that light of Jesus to a lost and dying world that needs it. Now, I believe there will be new ministry opportunities because of retiring our debt, and we will have a renewed sense of being able to help more in areas where we have not been able to in the past.”
When Peloquin became pastor in 2018, the church still owed $5.9 million on its facilities. He encouraged the church each year to pray, fast and give toward paying off the balance.
Even during COVID, the church remained faithful in giving extra toward the mortgage, including $100,000 in the final four weeks before the debt retirement. God also has blessed their faithfulness through an increase in worship attendance from 800 in January to 1,304 in late November, and baptisms (30 this year, compared to 28 in 2022).
“As time passed, I began to see God changing the mindset of our people,” he said. “They began to see debt not as this mountain to climb but as a means through which God revealed Himself. We realized God had this and began to see Ephesians 3:20 fulfilled.”
Crosby, who served as pastor of Summer Grove from 1971-1979 and then as interim pastor in 1997-1998 and 2012, shared how God impressed upon him in 2012 to place a treasure chest (like one King Josiah used to raise money for the temple) inside the worship center at Summer Grove. He placed an offering inside the chest at the conclusion of his message on Easter Sunday 2012 and others followed with their gifts, collectively, of $60,000.
Billy Crosby, who served as pastor of Summer Grove from 1971-1979 and then as interim pastor in 1997-1998 and 2012, ceremonially closed “Josiah’s chest” signifying the end of special offerings to pay off the congregation’s mortgage. Submitted photo
The chest remained inside the worship center until the retirement of the debt, with members placing $3,241,287 inside the chest since 2012.
At the conclusion of the service on Nov. 26, Peloquin asked Crosby to close the chest to mark God’s faithfulness to retire the debt.
“It was an awesome moment,” Crosby said. “I’m 90 and I have made it to see the chest closed and the debt retired. I just gradually closed it and then I lifted my hands and praised the Lord. It’s been so neat to see people continue to give all these years.”
Dubose, who served as pastor of Summer Grove from 1980-1994, said he is thankful for the sacrifice members made to pay off the debt.
“I am thankful for the generous, and in many cases, the sacrificial giving spirit of God’s people at Summer Grove,” he said. “It should be noted that God has mightily used Pastor Heath, who had a passion to get us out of debt and guided us to the place where we could have the note burning. The people of Summer Grove gladly proclaim to God be the glory, great things He has done.”
Paying off the $12 million mortgage now frees up the church to tackle deferred maintenance, renovate existing parts of the campus, and increase its Kingdom impact through mission efforts that include sponsorships of five church plants and support for three missionary families. Summer Grove also provides food and clothing for needy families with children in Shreveport, Bossier and Stonewall schools, as well as counseling and emergency assistance for others through its Compassion 360 ministry.
For churches facing a mountain of debt on their facilities, there is hope, Peloquin said.
He suggested they pray for wisdom and seek the Lord, have designated days of giving, fasting, and prayer throughout the year, and do not back down from “doing the hard thing” of paying down debt.
“Nobody gets excited about paying off debt, especially on an older building, but our people saw this as an opportunity for us to be a good witness in our community,” he said. “God never intends for us to be in debt, but you must tackle it. As you continue to pay down debt, celebrate along the way. Paying down the debt is not just for the people inside your worship center but for the community to see that Jesus is alive and He moves on behalf of His people. We know it’s all Him because it’s too large of a task for man to do alone.”
