First Baptist Church of Minden has been a fixture on Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Minden, Louisiana, for generations, and the rhythms of the church - two Sunday morning services, a long-running Wednesday family meal, and a senior pastor with more than forty years of ministry behind him - give the congregation a clear sense of pace and purpose. The church's vision is to "intentionally develop followers of Christ into faithful and passionate leaders who are persistent in serving, humble in obedience, active in sharing their faith, and seeking to engage the world through a lifelong commitment to Jesus for the Glory of God."
Two Sunday Services and a Sunday School Hour
Sunday is the heart of the week at First Baptist Minden. The Early Worship Service begins at 8:00 AM, Sunday School meets at 9:30 AM, and the Late Worship Service begins at 10:45 AM. Both worship services are held in English, and the 10:45 AM service is livestreamed on Facebook, YouTube, and Kaso Radio for those who want to follow along from home. A sermon archive is also available online for catch-up listening.
The two-service, one-Sunday School rhythm gives the church a built-in hour for Bible teaching and connection between the two gatherings, and it allows families to attend one or both services without missing the in-between hour of Sunday School.
Wednesday Nights: A Family Meal and Five Tracks
By Wednesday evening, the church is in motion. The doors open with a Family Meal from 5:00 to 6:00 PM in the Gym, giving families a no-fuss dinner together before the rest of the evening's activities begin. From there, the schedule splits into five tracks that run on the same evening:
- Orchestra Rehearsal at 5:30 PM in the Sanctuary, for instrumentalists who help lead worship.
- Adult Bible Study at 6:30 PM in the Chapel, the flagship teaching hour of the midweek.
- Student Bible Study at 6:30 PM on the Third Floor, for students in seventh through twelfth grade.
- Adult Choir Practice at 6:30 PM in the Choir Room.
- Wednesday Worship Service at 6:30 PM, a service-style gathering for those who prefer a service over a small-group study.
Together, the Wednesday family meal and the five parallel tracks make Wednesday one of the busiest and most varied nights of the church's week. The church's Pennsylvania Avenue campus is a multi-floor building that includes a Sanctuary, a Chapel, a Gym, a Choir Room, a Reception Room, and dedicated floors for student and recovery ministries, and that variety of spaces is what makes it possible to run so many ministries on a single Wednesday evening.
SonRisers: A Monday-Through-Thursday Morning Hour
For early risers, SonRisers meets Monday through Thursday at 8:30 AM. The morning gathering is open to anyone who wants a Bible-based start to the day, and it is one of the few ministries on the church's schedule that runs every weekday morning. It provides a steady, recurring place for adults of all ages to gather, study, and pray before the workday begins.
Children and Students
Children's ministry is led by Andy Partington, the church's Children's Pastor. Partington has served at First Baptist Minden since 2009, and he and his wife Angie have two sons, Daniel and Nathan. The Children's Ministry anchors the church's 9:30 AM Sunday School hour and offers programming tailored to kids throughout the week.
Student ministry is led by Chad Parks, the Minister to Students. The student ministry runs a Wednesday-night Bible study for seventh through twelfth graders on the Third Floor and keeps a Facebook page as a main channel for ongoing communication with parents and students.
Choir, Orchestra, and Voices of Praise
Music is a long-standing piece of the church's identity. The Choir & Orchestra, with its own Facebook page under the name "First Minden Music," rehearses Wednesday evenings at 5:30 PM in the Sanctuary and again at 6:30 PM in the Choir Room. The Adult Choir Practice follows rehearsal each Wednesday night.
Senior adults who love to sing find a place in Voices of Praise, which meets on Thursday mornings at 9:30 AM in the Choir Room. The senior-adult ministry is rounded out by Senior Adult Trips, an outreach that has been a regular offering for the church's older members and that pairs fellowship with service.
Celebrate Recovery, GriefShare, and Embrace Grace
A wide range of support ministries meet on the church's Second Floor and throughout its midweek hours. Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered recovery program for those working through hurts, habits, and hang-ups, meets on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 PM on the Second Floor. The group offers a welcoming place for anyone walking through recovery, with new sessions forming on a regular cycle.
GriefShare is offered for those walking through the loss of a loved one, with meetings on Wednesday evenings. Embrace Grace/Life, part of the broader Embrace Grace network that supports single and expecting parents, meets on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM on the Second Floor. Both groups use the church's online registration system for sign-ups.
Dorcas Sewing Ministry and Life Skills University
The Dorcas Sewing Ministry, also known as Life Skills University, teaches practical sewing and life skills to adults in the Minden community. Sessions run on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 PM and on Thursday mornings at 10:00 AM, with times posted through the church's calendar. The ministry's purpose is twofold: to teach a trade and to build relationships that can lead to deeper conversations about faith.
Prayer, Homebound, and Prison Ministry
First Baptist Minden keeps prayer central. A prayer request line is staffed at (318) 371-7729, and prayer requests can be sent to network@firstminden.org. The Homebound Ministry reaches church members who are no longer able to attend services in person, while the Prison Ministry extends the church's care to incarcerated men and women in the region.
Mission Trips, Women's Missions, and Operation Christmas Child
The church sends out mission teams and supports Women's Missions as a year-round work. Operation Christmas Child, the Samaritan's Purse shoebox ministry, is one of the church's annual service projects, and the church also supports Senior Adult Trips as a fellowship-and-outreach opportunity for its older members.
The Pastoral Staff
Senior Pastor Leland Crawford has served as the church's pastor since December 2009 and has been in ministry for over forty years. He and his wife Rose have three daughters and nine grandchildren, and the church describes his preaching as bringing a fresh word from Scripture every week.
Charlie Lechner, the Minister of Administration, has been in ministry for over thirty years and joined the First Baptist Minden team with his wife Angie. The couple has four children, three daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren. Lechner oversees much of the operational side of the church.
Chad Parks serves as Minister to Students, and Andy Partington has served as Children's Pastor since 2009. Together, the pastoral staff covers preaching, administration, students, and children, supported by the broader ministry team that includes the Choir & Orchestra directors and the leadership of each support ministry.
Answers For Living Podcast and the Wider Reach
Beyond the walls of the building, the church produces a podcast called Answers For Living, available on Buzzsprout. The podcast extends the church's teaching into the wider community and is one of the most accessible ways for those outside Minden to hear from First Baptist's pastors and teachers. The 10:45 AM Sunday service is also carried on Kaso Radio, and a sermon archive lives on the church's YouTube channel.
Visiting and Getting Involved
First Baptist Minden sits at 301 Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Minden, Louisiana, 71055. Sunday services are at 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM, with Sunday School in between at 9:30 AM. A Wednesday worship service is held at 6:30 PM, preceded by a family meal at 5:00 PM. The main office can be reached at (318) 377-4434, and the prayer line at (318) 371-7729. Online giving is available through the church's Realm system, and a membership inquiry form is available for anyone interested in joining.
First Baptist Minden is, at its heart, a church shaped by its weekly schedule, by generations of members, and by a clear vision to develop followers of Christ into faithful, humble, and active leaders in Minden and beyond.