Beginnings

      Don Avenue Baptist Church began as a Mission Church of First Baptist Church of Denham Springs in 1952.  It began with prayer and an open air meetings in the Shelly's Subdivision area after it was discovered that there were many unchurched people in the area.

       As interest grew, the decision was made to have Sunday School and morning preaching services.  After much prayer and hard work, a small frame building with no floor was purchased for $200.00.  The building and supplies were moved to the property and services were begun on the first Sunday in August,1952 with Rev. James H. DeLaughter serving as Mission Pastor.  There were 42 present in  Sunday School that first Sunday and the people voted for the name of " Mission Don Avenue Chapel " to be used as the church name.

       During November 17th through 19th, District Superintendent Rev. A. E. Pardue gave instructions to those desiring to become Charter Members of the Don Avenue Baptist Church when organized.  The Church Covenant and the New Hampshire Articles of Faith were adopted.

      A Presbytery was formed Sunday, December 7, 1952, to consider the formation of Don Avenue Baptist Church.  After a brief history of the Chapel, statements of adoption of the Covenant and Articles of Faith, and indication of intent to cooperate fully with the Southern Baptist Convention Program, constitution of the Chapel into a Church was approved.  After the presentation of the Mission Committee, the Presbytery Report, and the names of those desiring to become Charter Members of the new church, Rev. Pardue declared the Don Avenue Baptist Chapel to be constituted into the Don Avenue Baptist Church.  The first official act of the new church was to receive an offering for World Wide Missions through the Cooperative Program.  There were 36 original Charter Members with 16 more joining the following thirty-day period.  Rev. J.H. DeLaughter served as pastor until Rev. Robert M. Starnes was called in September 1953.

      On February 17, 1955, First Baptist Church of Denham granted and donated the Don Avenue Baptist Church all fifteen original lots together with all buildings and improvements thereon.  On November 28, 1956, Don Avenue Baptist Church formed a non-profit corporation whose objects and purposes were declared to be "To conduct religious worship; to expound and teach the Gospel and Scriptures of Almighty God as written in the Holy Bible and in such manner to aid and assist in the evangelization of the work in the Christian faith."

     Around 1957, a new building was built with the first and second buildings being moved to the rear.  In 1958 the Church built a new educational building to accommodate growth in Sunday School as well as Brotherhood, WMU, and Young Peoples organizations.

     On December 16, 1962, the present sanctuary was dedicated after having been built and financed through the selling of $85,000 in bonds to individuals.  By 1964 all buildings were air conditioned and a full-time music and educational director was hired to move forward in the work of the Lord. In 1971 the note on the sanctuary was burned as it had been completely paid off in less than 10 years.

Daycare

     In 1965, the Church branched out into a different type of ministry as Don Avenue Kindergarten was established with 21 children. The kindergarten was a great success with a long waiting list due to the excellence of the educational program and the program as expanded with the formation of a daycare program in the summer of 1973.  The Kindergarten remained at Don Avenue until sometime in the late 80's when the public school system adopted a full-time kindergarten program.  The preschool and daycare programs continued to flourish and continue to this day.

Moving Forward

     For over 50 years, under many workers and leaders, the people of Don Avenue Baptist Church have searched the Lord's leadership through both hard times and victorious times.  It is our supreme desire to be a church that reflects God's glory and not our own.  We desire to be a church where everyone can "Grow Together in God's Word.  And we strive to grow in reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ...starting in our community...and sending our own people into the most distant corners of the world.

A very special thanks to Mrs. Linda Pearce for collecting and preserving the documents from which this history was adapted.