Bro. Leland Crawford and church secretary/office administrator Marva Joslin perform a “fact-check” on the “Legacy Sunday” bulletin.
By Marilyn Miller
In January of 1845, shortly after the Minden Baptist Church was founded, George Washington Bains was called as the church’s first pastor. While pastoring at Mt. Lebanon and Minden, Bains also pastored the churches at Homer and Saline. The Minden church grew and prospered under Bains’ ministry. During his tenure, the church built its first building, located on the modern-day corner of Broadway and Lee Streets and was used by the Minden Baptist Church until 1902.
According to late Minden historian John Agan, “During his six-year residence in Louisiana, Bains also served as superintendent of schools in Bienville Parish. In 1850, the Bains family moved to Huntsville, Texas, where he preached and began a lifelong friendship with Sam Houston. It was after crossing the Sabine River and becoming a Texan that he added the “e” to his last name, for reasons unknown.”
Rev. Bains was the great grandfather of the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson.
Today, 180 years later, Bro. Leland Crawford is the 31st pastor of the First Baptist Church, happily serving in his 17th year as Minden’s largest congregation prepares for a Homecoming like no other.
“It’s always good to look back,” Bro. Leland said of “Legacy Sunday” on Sept. 29, 2024. “But what we really want this to be about is God’s faithfulness to us over the years. God has been faithful, not to just us, but to every church in town. We need to celebrate God’s faithfulness.”
“Hundreds have been called to the ministry…to the mission fields,” he continued. “Many of those will be coming back on Legacy Sunday…12 to 15 of our former staff members.” They will be recognized during the two-hour celebration starting at 10 a.m. (there will be no Sunday School).
“We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us,” Bro. Leland added. “And we want to leave a legacy so that others can stand on our shoulders. That’s what Legacy Sunday is all about.”
Music will be a large part of the celebration, which will be directed by Worship leaders, Bro. Scotty Blackwell and Bro. Todd DuBose. First Minden’s choir and orchestra, the Children’s Choir, and the reuniting Teentone Choir will take part, along with soloists. “I’m guessing there will be a couple of hundred people on the platform,” said Bro. Leland.
Special guests will include Bro. Wayne DuBose, a former First Baptist minister who was preaching at the Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport in 1980 when Bro. Leland was his Youth pastor. Another guest, Todd DuBose, was raised in that Youth group. He and his wife, Alicia, will sing a collaboration of songs.
Songstress Rachel Chapman will sing “First Blood,” which has reached 6.5 million listeners on YouTube. “A family (of missionaries) from our church was participating in sports camps in Nairobi. They were at a soccer tournament when that song by Rachel came on the radio and could be heard on the soccer fields,” Bro. Leland recalled. “Can you believe it? All the way to Africa?”
“We have an incredible music ministry, with an abundance of talent,” Bro. Leland remarked, adding that the choirs and orchestra have just finished recording a new CD (which can be streamed). “We’ve been really blessed. And we try not to take it for granted.”
Bro. Wayne DuBose will bring the message from God’s Word on Legacy Sunday. Brief videos of the church’s history will be scattered throughout the service, which will end with closing remarks by Bro. Leland. A fried chicken dinner-on-the-grounds will follow the service, along with an open house.
In case of overflow, West Chapel will be outfitted with a giant movie screen which will project the service. Bro. Leland invites the community to attend the services. “We don’t wear suits,” he laughed, lifting up FBC as a “people-friendly place led by a Texas country redneck.”
Br. Leland reminds member families to bring their vacuums and cleaning supplies to church at 6 p.m. next Wednesday for a deep cleaning party. “We’re going to shine up the place,” he said, recalling when he was a kid and the congregation was invited to help clear land for a new project. “I will never forget that (in a good way),” he said.