Main Thing Podcast
This podcast encourages others to love God and people by leading them to know and follow Jesus’ truth.
Main Thing Podcast
Harvested by God: History Pt. 3
We trace the recent history of Covenant Church through hurricanes, hard choices, and a renewed focus on Jesus. From housing hundreds after Katrina to launching a school and changing our name, we share how mission led us to God's will.
• Why real ministry thrives outside the walls
• Starting Covenant Christian Academy and growing to 500+ students
• Balancing academic excellence with spiritual formation
• Why we chose the name Covenant and what it means
• A future vision centered on Jesus, not titles
If you haven’t heard parts one and two of our church history series, go back and listen to those first to set the stage for today’s conversation.
Main Thing Podcast with Pastor Steve, equipping you to respond and thrive in the world we live in today. Keep the main thing, the main thing has been a saying that Pastor Steve has told for decades. It means no matter what is happening around us, Jesus is what we need to have front and center in our lives. There couldn't be a more powerful reminder for us to recall in today's divisive and dark culture. From foundational truths and scripture to the hot topics of today's culture, allow this podcast to inspire and motivate you on your faith journey.
SPEAKER_03:All right, so glad you guys are back with us for the main thing podcast. Um, this is gonna be part three of the history of Covenant Church and how we got here. So if you haven't listened to part one or two, you might want to go back and listen to those first to give you some idea of what we'll be talking about today. And so today we're gonna talk about uh some big events uh that have come up in the past 15 to 20 years that really led uh to ministry and to growth here at Covenant. And so as always, we are so glad you're with us. Hope you enjoyed the the podcast. So, Steve, one of the uh I think one of the more interesting uh periods in our church life was the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, absolutely.
SPEAKER_03:Tell us a little bit about that. What was that like us uh you know being a shelter for up to 500 people uh at various times?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it was um it was a learning experience for sure. Uh I've often argued with myself if we had that kind of situation again tomorrow, would we do it again? And I often tell myself, no, but I know we probably would, you know, because people are always the most important thing. Uh Paris called, want to know if we'd be willing to serve as a shelter. And I thought, absolutely, we, you know, we'll help put people up. Uh so for nearly three months, seven days a week, we would house between two and three hundred homeless individuals who had lost their homes to Katrina, and we had between 250 and 300 Red Cross workers in the church all at the same time. And our ministerial core and our church family, uh cooking meals, washing clothes, mopping floors, cleaning toilets seven days a week. Uh we had church on Sunday morning, and that was it. That was the extent of what we did uh with our normal schedule. Otherwise, everything was dedicated to taking care of people uh during that time. So it was a very interesting time.
SPEAKER_03:You know, some of some of the more funny stories uh about the ministry here come out of Katrina. Yeah. Uh, I think one of my absolute favorites is um that first or second day we were in shelter, uh, an inspector from some government department, I don't even remember which one, comes in, and we're cooking up a storm. We've got 20 people in the kitchen trying to get that first meal ready for everybody's coming in. And uh and she comes up and says, Y'all have to stop this right now. Your kitchen is not prepared for however many. And correct me if I'm wrong, because urban legend, or at least my memory says that you said something to the effect of either get an apron on or get out. We got work to do.
SPEAKER_01:Nah, not quite that. Oh, I wish that was because that makes such a better story. There were several meetings like that because government uh bless their heart, they take themselves so serious. Um, you know, as a church, we served Wednesday night suppers, and you had to have a certain color certificate to qualify. And we had that, whatever it was, we'll call it the green certificate. And it was a man, actually. He came in and uh he said, I've got to shut your kitchen down because you don't have the blue certificate. And I asked what that meant. He said, Well, the blue certificate allows you to sell food, uh, and you're not qualified to do that, so we have to shut you down. To which I responded, we're not selling anything. Uh, we didn't get anywhere with him. He was going to shut us down. Uh, so we were working directly at that time. Reggie Dupree uh was our state representative from this area, and he was the one that I was working with. He was our liaison between us and parish government uh as a shelter. So I just took my phone out and called Reggie and I said, I'm I'm having a situation. Uh he had told me, you call me if you need anything. And he said, let me have him on the phone. And all I heard was, yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir, I understand. He hung up and said, Y'all will be fine, and he left. And um, you know, but this is government, they can't help themselves. Uh you're doing more as a private entity of faith than they've even begun to think about doing, but they're spending their effort trying to keep you from helping people. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yep. And you, you know, you mentioned the Red Cross being there. Yeah. I think another uh big memory of that time was uh if you remember Hurricane Rita happened maybe four weeks after Katrina.
SPEAKER_01:About a month after, that's right.
SPEAKER_03:And you know, all the most of all the Red Cross uh volunteers were from the Northeast. Yep. And there's a I remember a bus pulling up and somebody walking through the halls of the old family life center with a with a megaphone from the Red Cross saying this was the last chance for any Red Cross volunteer to get out. This was their last chance, and and oh, they were so scared. They just knew they were about to be wiped off the face of the earth, and we just kind of sat there and a bemused look on our face. Yeah. Seeing what was going on.
SPEAKER_01:Oh yeah, they uh they were interesting because most of them were from up north, not from the south. And um, you know, uh, I have a I have an opinion of the Red Cross. I know they intend to do good work, but I think they're probably uh much like our federal government, they've become too too big for their own good. And so I think they waste more money than they actually apply most of the time.
SPEAKER_03:You know, I remember I remember at that time you telling us, especially because a lot of us then, we were young ministers, right? Uh just really uh having started out in ministry. I remember you saying, guys, this is this is a real deal. This is ministry. This is ministry. We can't we can't meet greater needs than this right now. That's right. Um, you know, if you think back, what what do you think are some of our have been most some of our most effective ministry to our community? You know, not just in the church, but again outside the walls.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, uh Katrina, uh absolutely. Uh and we've had several hurricanes uh over the years where uh our church has served this community in a phenomenal way. Just a few years back after Ida, as you know, we probably had 50, 75 uh church members up here every day after Ida with anywhere from one to three semi-trucks rolling into the parking lot every day uh and us uh meeting the needs of people, just shoving supplies and food out the door as fast as it came in the back door, it was going out the front door. Um you know, uh we've done that multiple times over the years. And um Chet's ministry with Living Waters, uh working in local communities over the years, things like that. Um real ministry happens best outside the walls. Uh and I think I think our people get that. They've always stepped up. Uh some of them just by giving money, use it where it's needed, many of them by doing the actual work. Uh then of course we had Samaritan's Purse here um for six months, was it? You know?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And they operate on local volunteers a lot, and we had tons of our people going out and um helping with those things. But one of the things people forget is we helped build the habitat uh for humanity development on Bon Jovi Boulevard also uh as a church. We we had over a hundred people uh work on that project when they were building that. So we we have always tried to be involved where we can make a difference. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:You know, one of the things we haven't mentioned yet um in in this particular episode of the podcast, uh, which I think is a an extremely key moment in our our history is uh Covenant Christian Academy.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:You know, fall of 2007. Uh we opened that school with 72 students.
SPEAKER_02:Yes.
SPEAKER_03:And no way to pay the bills. Didn't have a clue. If you don't mind, talk a little bit about Covenant. You know, how has that uh been a part of our ministry and how has that uh you know been a part of the church's ministry and part of the church's growth over the years?
SPEAKER_01:That's been a progression. I I think God does his best work sometimes uh through a preacher who doesn't have a clue, but he's willing to dive in anyway, you know, because I thought I had a clue, uh, but I didn't. Uh you know, I go back to government entities. Uh any historian will tell you that education in America has been done best by the private sector and for less money. They've gotten better results throughout the history of this country. Uh and I came from Alabama where uh the restrictions and guidelines for starting a private school, those kind of things, were very loose. You could start a private school in your living room, nobody cared. Uh but when you come to Louisiana, uh it's a different animal. So we were governed by the health department and the fire marshal, and uh, so we think we're gonna start a school in our church, and then we find out we got to spend$30,000 putting in a fire alarm system because the one in the church is not adequate for a school. They have all these enhanced rules if you put the name school on something. For example, uh the air conditioning in a room has to produce 30% more fresh air in a classroom than any other room in America. Uh, you know, I'm sure these things mean well, but uh if a kid can't live in a room, how in the world, uh I don't understand why they can't do education in a room if they can live in the room. But, you know, um, and so make a long story short, it started with I want to say 77 kids the first year. We went through sixth grade, seventh grade, something like that, and then added a grade each year. Um in 2009, we built the physical school building out back, did that ourselves. That that was a uh a learning experience too. Um my faith was not big enough. The classrooms are too small to this day because I I really didn't expect it would ever take off in a huge way. But fast forward 18 years now, we're in our 18th year. We've got over 600 students, and uh our composite ACT scores are among some of the best in the state, year in and year out. Um, you know, they there are those in our community who still love to say that we don't have the best academics, but the fact is our academic test scores prove otherwise. Um if that makes them good to feel good to say that, God bless them. Um but our our people do a great job over there. Uh we see teenagers come to the Lord every year that we've been a school. Uh we had um school revival last two years. Uh uh year before last we had 58 kids accept Christ in a school revival. Last year it was about 20, I think, accepted Christ. Uh we have every flavor of Christian over there you can imagine. Um, you know, a school's not a perfect entity, it never will be. Uh but uh one of the things is very clear is we're doing our best to make sure these kids are introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ and a biblical worldview uh before they leave high school. Um otherwise they'll be sheep to the slaughter uh at the college level with what they have to deal with. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. I think we're at another one of those points in our history where we're Covenant Church is at a pivotal point. Okay. And I I want to talk about this a second, because I know a lot of people always have this question when we have Covenant class, you know. 2021, we make the decision as a church overwhelmingly uh to change our name to Covenant Church. You know? Um if you could sum it up, uh why was that important for us to to make that change?
SPEAKER_01:Well, there was several reasons why it was important. One is um we're in a culture uh that is filled with organized religion. And when a person's looking for a new church home, place to go worship, the last thing they want to do is get in more organized religion. That's why they're looking. Uh they're disenfranchised with organized religion. And when they saw that name Baptist on the sign, their immediate thought is more organized religion. And as we know, we're not organized religion here. We're all about a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Um, I don't care what flag you fly, you either have a relationship with Jesus or you don't. So no, I don't care what name you put on it. Um and so that was one of the main reasons that we did it. The other is Southern Baptist Convention for several years has been going down um what I believe to be a bad path. And uh the last several years has proven that to be true. We've moved into wokeism, we've got a convention being run with very little accountability, taking people's tithe money, spending it exorbitantly on all kinds of things. Uh we had the the fake sex scandal. Um, and most people don't know this, they need to know that. Uh, we had this entity hired by the executive committee of the convention to investigate all the sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention that had been covered up. And uh the Department of Justice just this past year released its final report and they found zero, zero instances of covered up sexual abuse. And so it was a smoke screen for a particular group in the convention to seize power and take over the convention. I and look, I'm at a stage of my life, I I'm just not about all that garbage. That's what it is. It's garbage. Um, not being accountable, power plays, that's political stuff. Uh I I just want to love Jesus and preach the word and and help others love Jesus and come to Jesus. And I don't have time for all of that stuff. I've served on several of the boards and became very disenfranchised myself uh and and the way things were operated and done. And and I might say even ungodly in a lot of ways. So we we made the decision that we're gonna step aside. We've not officially pulled out, uh, but we give no money to the National Convention anymore. We do still support local and state entities, and we support the missionaries because you know they're out there just trying to share Jesus. Uh but as long as the convention's where it is currently, um I want to I want to distance myself from those people. Uh I want to be a church that honors Jesus. And and then one of the biggest things for me is there's a push within the convention for them to have authority over the churches now. And in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention, the entities, the state office, the national office, have never had authority over the local church. But they're even testifying in court now. Uh it's on record that Kevin Ezale, the leader of the North American Mission Board, testified in court that the local church is under his authority as president of the North American Mission Board. So um, in in my humble view, they've gone off the rails. And I just don't want anything to do with it. So uh I felt in my spirit it was time for us to make a clear break from much of what they do, who they are.
SPEAKER_03:So another question that comes up why the name covenant? What does that signify? Why is that important?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Well, first of all, it's not a reform statement. Covenant seems to be um connected to the reform movement a lot. I'm a John 3.16 guy. Jesus said, Whosoever will, and I think when you go to scripture, he's the authority. And um, so uh I'm a John 316 guy all day long. And um, you know, God tells us in scripture, I'll be your God and you'll be my people. It's a covenant, it's an unbreakable agreement. And so he is our God, we are his people, and it's unbreakable. That's who we are, that's who he is. All right.
SPEAKER_03:Look, if you remember back at the old campus, and I'm sure you do, uh, we used to have what we called the Hall of Dead Pastors, where there was that line of pictures on the wall of every pastor we'd ever had. And you know, um, and we all know this to be true, but there will come a day when, figuratively speaking, you'll be on the the hall of dead pastors, you know? But for the future of Covenant, long after any of us are here, what's your what's your dream for for Covenant in in the future? What do you what do you hope this church is now and is one day long long after we're gone?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I look I hope the Lord's not through with me or the any of us here yet. I hope we still have great days ahead of us. I believe we do. We're seeing God move now in these current days in great ways. Um, but I I believe it's important uh that I not be remembered or or any other pastor in this church, but that people remember the Lord Jesus. And uh so my prayer is that long after I'm gone, if the Lord has still not come back yet, uh, that it'll be doing far greater than it's ever done. Uh, you know, that that they'll be running literally multiple thousands uh and people coming to Jesus and living out their faith in their community. Um we we have to remember it's not about us. We're vessels.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Vessels to be used. Uh it's all about him.
SPEAKER_03:Well, see, this has been fun. I appreciate it very much. Uh yes. Guys, if you're listening or watching and you're a part of Covenant, uh, we are so grateful for for you guys. Um, I know as a ministry team a lot we talk about uh what a great church this is to serve. Because um, you know, we don't have uh stories of mistreatment, we don't have stor a lot of stories of hurt. I just because this is um you you guys are a uh a precious church to be a part of. So uh so thankful you guys were with us today. Um hope you guys have a great day. God bless you.