This week we hosted Kyle Bueermann from NAMB’s Rural Replanting Team. Some great resources are available through this team. Check out: https://replanthub.com/ (register for free and gain access to an incredible library of resources). Also: https://www.namb.net/church-replanting.

The Rural Pastor Podcast with Andy Addis is really good –https://theruralpastor.com/. (Look it up wherever you get podcasts).

Rural Louisiana:

• 40 of Louisiana’s 64 Parishes are considered Rural by the Dept. of Health.
• 29% of Louisiana’s Population live in these 40 Parishes.
• 52% of our Louisiana Baptist Churches are in these 40 Parishes.
• We have 12 towns in these parishes with no SBC church.
• New churches are definitely needed in at least 3 of these parishes.
• Replanting is needed in most of them.

There are significant transitions and struggles happening for many of these churches.

• Declining Populations (45 of 64 parishes lost population over the last 10 years).
• The need for Bivocational Pastors with fewer jobs available in these areas.
• AND some are growing and stand to grow through Urban and Suburban spread, changing the culture in the area, which churches have to transition to as well.

Lots of great opportunities for meaningful ministry in Rural Louisiana. Partners, Planters, Replanters, Pastors needed.