Dr. Bill Day, Church Growth and Evangelism Professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, defines a Healthy and Growing Church as a church that has had:

• 10% growth over a 5 year period.
• At least one baptism per year in that period.
• An attender to baptism ratio of 15:1.

I like this formula, because it helps us see that not every church that is a healthy church is a growing church. And not every church that is growing, grows by evangelistic growth. This formula cuts through the pack to get to the healthy, evangelistic, growing churches. It is also a formula that includes smaller membership churches that often get left out of the lists that are only based on the biggest numbers.

You can see my reports on Healthy and Growing Churches in Louisiana in 2016 Here and Here. And 2017, Here.

2018 Data is in, and we’re currently collecting the Annual Church Profiles for 2019. Here’s a look at Healthy and Growing Churches among Louisiana Baptists in 2018:

• 150 Louisiana Baptist churches, or 9%, grew by 10% growth between 2014 and 2018. That’s down from 161 in 2017 and 163 in 2016.
• Only 60 Louisiana Baptist churches, or 4%, were healthy AND growing churches between 2014 and 2018; with 10% growth, 1 baptism per year, and a 15:1 attender to baptism ratio.

Where are these churches?

• 19 are in south Louisiana, 41 are in north Louisiana.
• 24 along I-20, 17 in Central LA, 5 in SWLA, 9 on the I-12, 1 in New Orleans, 4 in Baton Rouge.

How old are these churches?

• 3 are less than 10 years old
• 3 are 11-25 years old
• 8 are 26-50 years old
• 20 are 50-100 years old
• 26 are 100+ years old

What’s the size of these churches?

• 5,000+ – 1
• 1,000-4,999 – 0
• 500-999 – 4
• 250-499 – 11
• 100-249 – 23
• 1-99 – 21

Who are these Churches?

Top 25 Churches with the largest % growth between 2014 and 2018:

1. United Outreach, Shreveport – grew by 68% from 90 to 280, baptizing 126 between 2014 and 2018.
2. Heflin, Heflin – grew by 67% from 100 to 300, baptizing 56.
3. Gandy, Florien – grew by 53% from 53 to 70, baptizing 79.
4. Unity, Cotton Valley – grew by 49% from 57 to 112, baptizing 138.
5. Christ’s Community, Denham Springs – grew by 44% from 423 to 750, baptizing 417.
6. Grawood, Keithville – grew by 44% from 192 to 340, baptizing 98.
7. Fellowship on Airline, Gonzales – grew by 44% from 95 to 170, baptizing 28.
8. Midway, Ponchatoula – grew by 44% from 20 to 36, baptizing 18.
9. Bethany, Bethany – grew by 41% from 62 to 112, baptizing 89.
10. Newton, Delhi – grew by 41% from 50 to 85, baptizing 98.
11. Trinity, Hammond – grew by 40% from 90 to 150, baptizing 26.
12. Bethel, West Monroe – grew by 40% from 45 to 75, baptizing 25.
13. Old Zion Hill, Independence – grew by 39% from 200 to 330, baptizing 97.
14. First, Castor – grew by 39% from 55 to 90, baptizing 23.
15. Memorial, Monroe – grew by 38% from 40 to 65, baptizing 29.
16. First, Pine Prairie – grew by 35% from 163 to 250, baptizing 37.
17. Oak Forest, Leesville – grew by 34% from 56 to 85, baptizing 52.
18. Lighthouse, Shreveport – grew by 33% from 40 to 60, baptizing 40.
19. First, Robeline – grew by 33% from 170 to 255, baptizing 227.
20. Celebration Church, Metairie – grew by 32% from 5,233 to 7,656, baptizing 2,764.
21. Bethsadia, Many – grew by 30% from 35 to 50, baptizing 57.
22. Unity, Oak Grove – grew by 29% from 100 to 154, baptizing 193.
23. Open Door Fellowship, Coushatta – grew by 28% from 90 to 125, baptizing 73.
24. Mangham, Mangham – grew by 27% from 110 to 150, baptizing 35.
25. First, Holden – grew by 27% from 62 to 85, baptizing 33.

Churches that Added the Most People between 2014 and 2018:

1. Celebration Church, Metairie, added 2,423 people.
2. Christ’s Community, Denham Springs, 327 people.
3. Heflin, Heflin, added 200 people.
4. United Outreach, Shreveport, added 190 people.
5. Grawood, Keithville, added 148 people.
6. Old Zion Hill, Independence, added 130 people.
7. Addis, First, added 127 people.
8. His Church, Pineville, added 126 people.
9. First, Pine Prairie, added 85 people.
10. First, Robeline, added 75 people.

Top 10 Baptisms by these churches from 2014 to 2018:

1. Celebration Church (SBC), Metairie – 2764
2. First, Haughton – 425
3. Christ’s Community, Denham Springs – 417
4. Philadelphia, Deville – 370
5. His Church, Pineville – 311
6. Addis, First – 277
7. First, Robeline – 227
8. Unity, Oak Grove – 193
9. Trinity, Many – 149
10. Unity, Cotton Valley – 138

Do you think your church should be on the list? Remember the criteria:

• Does your church have 5 years of history?
• What is the ratio of attendance to baptism? Must be 15:1.
• Did your church turn in an Annual Church Profile all of the 5 years?
• Did your church baptize at least 1 person each year?
• Did your church grow by 10% over the 5 year period?

Email me for a copy of the full report and list of churches on this list, along with all the churches that grew by 10% over the last five years in Louisiana – lane.corley@louisianabaptists.org.