A first century model church
Our Story
Our Mission
Meeting needs, building relationships & growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Serving God by serving others simply means we are a church that provides tangible needs to the communities we serve in order to reach hurting people for Christ, such as: counseling, health & wellness, ESL, private education, disaster recovery, family services, local & international missions, clothing and food, ministries for children, youth, and adults that are relevant for today.
Our History
The First Baptist Church of Addis was established in the late 1950s. In 2009 the church was down to a dozen members and struggling. The pastor at the time, Frank Stagg, invited Tom Shepard to come in as the associate pastor and help with discipleship. Two weeks later Pastor Stagg announced his retirement and asked Pastor Shepard if he would take the helm. Pastor Shepard agreed, and a year later in 2010, at 42 members, Pastor Shepard took over as senior pastor. In 2022 at 1,059 members, having successfully launched a church in Plaquemine, having an additional campus in Walker, LA, and running a K3 through 12th grade private school for the previous five years, the now named "Church at Addis" is thriving.
Our Future
Our future is bright! To honor the Great Commission, we purchased 35 acres across LA Hwy. 1 in Addis. We will build a 2,500-seat worship center that will also function as a performing arts venue.
Our mission is to "Serve God by Serving Others." The church’s new complex will provide us with space for individual and family counseling, recovery programs, an expanded community food pantry, adult literacy classes, English as a second language courses, and a disaster recovery hub for South Louisiana, along with a variety of community-related ministries. Our sports complex will feature multiple ball fields, a gymnasium, tennis courts, wellness activities, and educational programs, all accessible to our community.
We are excited about how our expansion can generate further opportunities to lead people to Christ, make disciples, and create a lasting impact on the community we serve. Please pray for us as we seek God’s guidance in this bold endeavor!
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:19
