A church on the bayou
Bayou Church sits along Highway 43 in the small community of Kiln, Mississippi, on the north shore of the Gulf Coast. It is led by Gulf Coast native Justus Froman and gathers every Sunday morning for a 90-minute service of full-band worship and verse-by-verse expository preaching. The church runs a busy midweek schedule for adults and students, baptizes new believers on the first Sunday of each month, dedicates babies in Sunday services, and every October opens its grounds for a free Fall Fest that draws families from across the area.
From Bayou Talla Fellowship to Bayou Church
The congregation was founded in 1909, making it more than a century old. Over the years the name has changed eight times, but the church was named after the local bayou early in its history. After decades of confusion about what "Bayou Talla Fellowship" meant, neighbors passing by regularly told members "if I had known you were a church, I would have visited sooner". The church body voted in October 2022 to simplify the name to Bayou Church. At the bi-annual Church Family Meeting on October 16, 2022, eighty-three percent of the covenant members present voted in favor of the change, three percent voted against, and fourteen percent abstained. The rebrand brought a new look as well, with the goal of making the church easier to find for first-time visitors driving along Highway 43.
Sundays at 10 AM
The Sunday gathering begins at 10 AM and runs about ninety minutes, dismissing around 11:30. The lobby opens early for coffee and conversation, and a coffee bar offers fresh coffee, hot tea, and water right inside the entrance. Worship is led by a full band in a lively, contemporary style, and the preaching is described as "verse-by-verse expository and bold." Children are dismissed partway through the service for their own classes. Visitors are encouraged to "come as you are": on any given Sunday people wear jeans, slacks, shorts, or flip flops. Modesty is the only request.
The church livestreams each service on YouTube and hosts the video, sermon notes, and a weekly discussion guide through the Bayou Church app, which also publishes a podcast on Spotify.
Bayou Kids and Upper Room Students
Bayou Kids serves children from birth through fifth grade every Sunday morning. The classrooms are organized by age: downstairs houses 0-2 years and 3-5 years, while the upstairs rooms welcome six- through twelve-year-olds. Each child is checked in at the lobby and given a parent sticker so only the matching adult can check them out. Bible lessons are taught with hands-on activities, music, and age-appropriate teaching, and the team is committed to making each week creative, fun, and relevant.
Upper Room Students is the youth ministry for sixth through twelfth graders. While students are encouraged to sit in the main Sunday worship service with their families, the dedicated youth gathering happens on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM. The mission of Upper Room is discipleship, empowering everyday middle and high schoolers to grow in maturity in their walk with God and to build real relationships with one another.
Wednesday nights around the Bible
Wednesday evenings are a second weekly gathering point. At 6:30 PM, adults meet for Bible study while students meet separately for Upper Room. Bayou Church also runs several Small Groups that meet in homes and other locations through the week. These are described as "the friends you grow, laugh, and serve with." Members are invited to browse existing groups or to host a group, with the church walking alongside leaders through the process of starting one.
A missionary family in residence
Jesse and Kaila McBride serve as resident missionaries at Bayou Church. Married in 2015 and parents of two daughters, Eden and Livi, they spent six years working across the United States and Central America and are now in a season of seeking rest, healing, and direction for the future. Working under the authority and covering of Bayou Church leadership, their vision is to walk alongside ministry leaders, care for pastors, and teach biblical foundations to the body of Christ. Their particular focus is building a discipleship and missional culture alongside the pastor. Partners can support the McBrides through prayer, financial giving, or serving on their support team.
Leadership team and elders
Justus Froman has spent more than fifteen years helping followers of Jesus understand the Bible and go deeper in their faith, and his aim for Bayou Church is to be "a place where people grow as disciples of Jesus Christ who love God and love people." He and his wife Cami have three young children, Rory, Rhett, and Riggs, and have been married for eleven years. Supporting the lead pastor is a staff of Worship Pastor Daron Ladner, Student Pastor Jarod Froman, and Associate Pastor Jesse McBride, with Angela Amoguis serving as administrative assistant. A board of seven elders, Justus Froman (Lead Pastor), Nestor Torres, Ron Smith, Henry Buice, Duane Froman, Steve Wheeler, and Barrett Negus, shares governance of the congregation.
What Bayou Church believes
The church's stated values are "we love God, love people, and make disciples of Jesus Christ," paired with the words: "In the essentials, unity. In the non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love."
Bayou Church teaches that the Bible is God's word to us, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, and that it is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. God is described as the Creator and Ruler of the universe, eternally existing in three co-equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, co-equal with the Father, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin by dying on the cross, rising again on the third day, ascending to heaven, and returning someday to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Son and empowers Christians for living, understanding spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.
Salvation is presented as God's free gift, accepted by trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord. People were created to exist forever, and eternal life is union with God through forgiveness while separation from God is hell. These truths are presented in five movements: our sin, God's gift, our response, baptism as a symbol of faith, and celebration of the decision to follow Christ.
Becoming a member, getting baptized, dedicating a baby
Those interested in becoming members are invited to a quarterly Membership Class held on a scheduled Sunday from 11:45 AM to 1:45 PM, with lunch and childcare provided. The class walks through the church's beliefs, culture, and family, and gives attendees a chance to meet the leadership. Upcoming dates include February 15, April 26, and September 13 in 2026.
Baptism is described as "going public about your faith in Jesus," and the church celebrates baptism on the first Sunday of every month. A sign-up form connects interested believers with the leadership team.
Baby Dedication is another public moment in the life of the church. Parents make a covenant with God to raise their child in the faith, and the congregation celebrates with them during a regular service.
Reading the Bible together in 2026
Bayou Church places strong emphasis on personal Bible engagement. The church offers several Bible reading plans for 2026: the Tune My Heart Bible Narratives Reading Plan and Catechism, a Guilt-Free Reading Plan, the F260 Whole Bible Reading Plan, the F260 New Testament Reading Plan, and a Two-Year Reading Plan. The church also teaches the HEAR journaling method, an acronym for Highlight, Explain, Apply, Respond, intended to transform daily reading from a checklist into a life-changing practice. Each week's sermon comes with a Sermon Notes outline and a Sermon Discussion Guide for small groups or individual study.
Serving inside the church
More than a dozen serve teams keep the church running on Sundays and through the week: Greeter, Cafe, Usher, Communion, Safety, Prayer, Worship, Media, Bayou Kids, Student Ministry, Cleaning, Grounds, Helps, Sermon Discussion Guide, Admin, Finance, and Creative (web design, video editing, graphic design, and content publishing). Some teams require church membership or a background check, notably Safety, Worship, Bayou Kids, Student Ministry, Admin, and Finance, while others are open to anyone ready to step in. Membership is also required for the Prayer and Sermon Discussion Guide teams.
Giving and the church app
Generosity is treated as an act of worship. Members and regular attenders can give online through the church's Breeze platform, by texting any amount to (228) 222-4994, in person using a giving box near the auditorium doors, by mail to the Kiln address, or through PayPal. The Bayou Church app, available on both Apple and Android stores, lets users follow along with the livestream, post on the prayer wall, access sermon notes, chat with their small groups, and keep up with the church newsfeed.
Fall Fest and the wider community
Each year on October 31, Bayou Church hosts Fall Fest from 3 to 5 PM, a free afternoon of food, games, candy, pony rides, a petting zoo, crafts, and hayrides that is open to the entire community. Costumes are welcome, and the event is funded through volunteer support and designated gifts to the Outreach Fund. Beyond Fall Fest, the church's Helps Team organizes meal ministry for bereavement services and sick members, visits the elderly, and makes hospital visits, while missionaries in residence extend the congregation's reach to the Gulf Coast region and into Central America.
An online storefront
A small storefront offers shirts and hats featuring various church logos, including "Upper Room," "I Love My Church," "Vertical Logo," "Horizon Logo," and "Serve Team" designs. Prices range from $15 for a Gildan cotton tee to $25 for a Port Authority polo. Every purchase is described as supporting the mission of sharing the love and message of Jesus Christ.