Fred Luter Jr. Announces Retirement, Paves Way for Son to Lead
Fred Luter Jr., a trailblazer in the Southern Baptist Convention and the longtime senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, is set to retire. At 69, Luter is preparing for a transition as he approaches 40 years of spiritual leadership at the church.
During a touching message given at the 9 a.m. service on Sunday, Luter shared his decision to step down by October 2026. He is urging the congregation to consider his son, Fred “Chip” Luter III, as his successor.
“Who would have thought … that a young street preacher from the Lower Ninth Ward would be elected by the 65 members of the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church back in September of 1986 as pastor and then that young preacher who had never pastored before will lead Franklin Avenue to be the largest church in the city of New Orleans and one of the largest churches in the state of Louisiana,” Luter expressed while reflecting on his journey.
Under Luter’s stewardship, the church has witnessed significant growth, becoming a beacon of hope even through trials such as Hurricane Katrina, the COVID-19 pandemic, and several building initiatives. His leadership tenure was marked by an unwavering commitment to the community, as evidenced by the numerous christenings, baptisms, and conversions at the church.
In 2012, Luter became the Southern Baptist Convention’s first and only black president, a historic election following his nomination by David Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church in New Orleans. Crosby highlighted Luter’s resilience in rebuilding Franklin Avenue Baptist Church twice after Hurricane Katrina.
“Franklin Avenue is now [once again] approaching 5,000 worshippers each Sunday despite the depressed population of our city,” Crosby noted during Luter’s presidential nomination. “And last year, they baptized more than 200. Fred is the only megachurch pastor I know of who has had to do it twice, and he did it against the trends and against the odds.”
Luter’s announcement also paid tribute to the divine faithfulness that has accompanied the church’s journey. “Through it all, God has been faithful to the congregation at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Considering such an incredible past, it is now time to focus on the future of our congregation. … It is with an extremely heavy heart that I announce my retirement as senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church effective next year,” he stated.
His retirement plan includes a special meeting on November 3, at 6:30 p.m., where congregants will vote on appointing “Chip Luter as our next pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church.”
Luter concluded by expressing gratitude to the church members, “Words are not adequate to express how much I love and appreciate each and every last one of you. It has been my honor to serve as your pastor for 39 years. To God be the glory for the things that he has done.”
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
