CHURCH HISTORIES Terrebonne Parish, LA BAPTIST - TRUTH BAPTIST MISSION Submitted by: Cynthia Daigle Source: The Houma Daily Courier and The Terrebonne Press, Houma, LA. Last modified: 10 MARCH 2008 ================================================== NOTE: Most histories were submitted by the church to the Houma Daily Courier and The Terrebonne Press as part of the newspapers Sesquicentennial Edition. Not all churches submitted histories. ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ================================================== BAPTIST - TRUTH BAPTIST MISSION Location in 2007 - No listing found in local phone book The Houma Daily Courier and The Terrebonne Press Houma, LA, Oct. 8, 1972, Sunday, Section E TRUTH BAPTIST MISSION PRODUCT OF DEDICATION "At the corner of Westfield and the Houma-Thibodaux highway, a newly erected church building stands. Dedication services for the chapel were held just last Sunday, April 10, 1966. It is the product of the dedication of the approximately 50 members of the Truth Baptist Mission to their faith in God. Pastor of the mission, and preacher there is Floyd S. Bergeron, 30, who since Hurricane Betsey destroyed their trailer home, has been living with his family in part of the educational section of the building. To understand this story, one must first understand to some measure the Baptist faith. Bergeron and the rest of the Truth Mission congregation are possessed of a deep devotion to Jesus Christ. They take no credit for themselves, but praise God for His blessings, and for the times when they are in need. They have the firm belief that God's will for them is revealed in His Word, the Bible, and in things that happen every day. Following the Bible itself as their only guidebook, they regiment their lives much as those people of the early Christian churches. They refer to each other as 'brother'. The foregoing contains excerpts from "The Terrebonne Press" April 12, 1966. The then Truth Baptist Mission is now a full time Independent, self- supporting Baptist Body. Believing that the Church consists of the people and not the building itself, the body first came into existence in October 1957. A group of interested persons met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Brister, Sr., who address at the time was 2040 East Park Ave., Houma. About two years later, meetings were moved to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Leland Brown on High St. Soon after this the group got too large to meet in homes. From Charles Collins, Jr., president of the Terrebonne Parish School Board, permission was obtained to use the Oaklawn School. This building was used until the present building was suitable for meetings. On April 8, 1961, the group purchased from Gibson Autin, Jr., the property on which the church building now stands. In August 1964, the foundation was laid and the Lord began to supply through His people, the cost of erecting the church. The first meeting was held in October of 1964. The church now has a residence for the Pastor in the Lazy Acres Subdivision. Rev. Bergeron is still the Pastor, Rev. Edward Hale is Associate Pastor and Minister of Music. Miss Wanda Brister, a South Terrebonne student, is church pianist, assisted by Mrs. Bergeron, the Pastor's wife. The church supports two missions, one at Robert, Louisiana and the other at Harahan. Meetings are held on a weekly basis. Prayerful and monetary support is also furnished to the "Society for the Evangelization of the Jews'" a worldwide missionary organization. A printing press is kept busy a great deal of the time printing messages and other literature. Two part-time secretaries are: Mrs. Anne Warren Bourque and Mrs. Connie Heigl. Tape recordings are made of many services and sent into homes on a regular basis. Tapes are carried into homes of the ill at their request. The year of 1971 saw a lady's group organized for prayer and visitation and vacation Bible school with an enrollment of more than fifty. The church operating budget for the year was in excess of $19,000. This year a weekly broadcast is on KTIB, Thibodaux, Louisiana, Sunday mornings at 7 a.m. The church, although independent, has fellowship with many other pastors and churches. Some are as far away as Tabernacle Baptist Church, Waco, Texas, Rev. Tom L. Daniel, Pastor and First Baptist Church, Almont, Michigan, Rev. Peter Nortier, Pastor. In recent months, the church had foreign visitors including Brother Elie Nessim, Vancouver, B.C. Canada, Rev. Robert Dunlop, Republic of Southern Ireland, Rev. Jack Johnston, Senior Evangelist of the Baptist Union of Ireland, Southern Ireland, Rev. Jack Johnston, Senior Evangelist of the Baptist Union of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Dr. Ernest Lloyd, Overseas Deputation Secretary of the Society for the Evangelization of the Jews, London, England. Dr. Lloyd will return this fall for another series of services. The church does not consider itself mature by any means, quite the contrary, says Rev. Bergeron. He cited the following scriptures: Revelation 3:8 ... behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it ... Isaiah 54:2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation: spare not, lengthen they cords, and strengthen thy stakes., Ephesians 3:20, 21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end Amen.