Three Campuses, One Family in West Shreveport
Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church anchors a stretch of west Shreveport, Louisiana, on and around Greenwood Road. The congregation describes itself as "one church, three locations," and the calendar bears that out: the Main Campus at 7480 Greenwood Road, the adjoining Bishop Fred A. Caldwell, Sr. Family Life Centré at 7530 Greenwood Road, and the North Location at 2800 North Hearne Avenue on the city's north side. The church's banner phrase, printed across its home page and posted inside each building, is simple: "A Church Where Love Abounds."
The Greenwood Acres community takes that phrase into a four-lane bowling alley, a leased banquet hall, a radio station, and a Christian college, all of which sit on or near the main campus. Whether someone walks in for the 9:00 a.m. Sunday service, drops off a child for Wednesday night youth ministry, or bowls three games on a Saturday afternoon, the aim is the same - to feel the love that gives the church its tagline.
From a Teacher's Question to a Citywide Ministry
The first meeting of what would become Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church took place on July 8, 1958, in the home of a Greenwood Acres Subdivision resident. Nine students gathered for a Sunday Bible School class that grew out of a conversation between two teachers at Greenmoore Elementary School, Mrs. Emma Pearl Brown and Mrs. Bernice Palmer. Both women had noticed that very few of their students attended Sunday school the previous week, and they carried that concern to Mrs. Brown's husband, Elder Willie Earl Brown, a pastor then serving in Texas.
Elder Brown agreed to help. Within months, the class had outgrown the living room and moved to a small building at 10 Greenway Place. On November 19, 1958, the Sunday school was formally reorganized at that location, and on November 28 Elder Brown was chosen as the church's first pastor. He was installed on December 28, 1958. Illness forced him to step aside in January 1959, and Elder Milton M. Flynn filled the pulpit beginning February 1, 1959. Pastor Flynn guided the young congregation for nearly a quarter-century, until declining health led him to relocate to Seattle, Washington, in April 1982 to be near his son. He passed on January 5, 1985, and his funeral was officiated by the man who would succeed him.
That successor arrived in the summer of 1981, when the church's youth day program invited a young minister named Fred A. Caldwell, Sr. to preach. The membership was so stirred by his delivery that they asked him to assist Pastor Flynn, whose health was failing. Caldwell was ordained on December 2, 1981, at Avenue Baptist Church by Pastor L. D. Scott. On December 30, 1982, he was named Pastor-Elect, and his installation took place on February 20, 1983, with Pastor Harry Blake, Sr. of Mount Canaan Baptist Church delivering the sermon and the charge.
The Caldwell Years and the Family Life Centré
Bishop Fred A. Caldwell, Sr. became the third pastor of Greenwood Acres Missionary Baptist Church in 1983. Under his leadership, the small congregation grew to active membership in the hundreds across multiple locations. A groundbreaking for an educational building was held on March 16, 1986, with the scriptural theme "Except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it" from Psalm 127:1. The congregation walked into the new structure on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1986, the Wednesday night before having been the final service held in the original building.
In 1992, Pastor Caldwell founded the Greenwood Acres Christian College and School of Ministry. Two years later, in 1994, he was consecrated a Bishop at Greater St. Stephens Full Gospel Baptist Church in New Orleans by Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr. and the Bishop's Council, becoming the first Full Gospel Baptist Church Bishop in Northwest Louisiana. The adjoining Family Life Centré, which houses the Atrium, Magnolia Room, conference spaces, dance studio, and Days of Thunder Bowling Center, was later named in his honor. He wrote four books during his ministry - Knowing God, The Righteousness of Faith, Trials and Glory, and How to Handle your Alexanders, He did me much evil - and founded Amistad Communications and the Know Your Bible Radio Broadcast. Bishop Caldwell served as Pastor/Teacher for more than forty years before his passing.
Today, Pastor Reginald C. Dodd shepherds the congregation. Keesha Bishop-Darty serves as Executive Administrator, and Marilyn Anderson is CFO of the Family Life Centré and KSYB 1300 AM. The offices at 7480 Greenwood Road are open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the phone line at (318) 938-1885 rings into that office.
What Greenwood Acres Believes
Greenwood Acres publishes a fifteen-point statement of faith that anchors the congregation's Full Gospel identity. The opening affirmation is that Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the church, and that He is both true God and true man. The Holy Spirit is named a divine person, and the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is set forth as the basis for justification. All Scripture is held to be given by the inspiration of God, and the church teaches that all people have sinned and come short of the glory of God and are in need of salvation.
Salvation is taught as a provision through Jesus Christ available to all. The will of God, the statement continues, is that every believer be filled with the Holy Spirit, and healing is held to be part of Christ's redemptive work and available to every believer. The church is defined as all who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Among the practices named are water baptism and the observance of the Lord's Supper, alongside belief in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the personal visible imminent return of Jesus Christ, and the eternal punishment of Satan, the beast and the false prophet. The statement closes with the expectation of an eternal day when all of God's children will be forever with Him in glory.
A Week at Greenwood Acres
Sunday worship at Greenwood Acres happens in two places and at two hours, designed so members can choose the campus that fits their week. The West Location gathers at the Family Life Centré, 7530 Greenwood Road, at 9:00 a.m. each Sunday. The North Location, at 2800 North Hearne Avenue, gathers at 11:00 a.m. The first Sunday of each month brings a 6:00 p.m. Communion Service at the West Location, and other weeks close with a 6:00 p.m. Evening Service at the same address.
Mid-Week Bible Study keeps the teaching going on Wednesdays. At the North Location, members gather at 12:00 p.m., while the West Location meets at 6:00 p.m. Teachers who prepare the Sunday Bible School lessons meet on Mondays at 6:00 p.m. at the West Location and on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. at the North Location. Worship services are livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person.
The Family Life Centré: Bowling, Banquets, and the Atrium
The Family Life Centré at 7530 Greenwood Road is more than a worship space. The building is also a community center, with rooms available for lease by outside groups. The Atrium seats 150 and can be configured for family celebrations or organizational events, with options for multimedia, WiFi, and meal service. Upstairs, the Conference Room hosts up to eight people in a setting suited for leadership meetings. The Magnolia Room seats sixty for restaurant-style gatherings, with an optional professional kitchen for a certified chef. The Sanctuary/Gym holds 350 in several configurations, and a separate Dance Studio accommodates 150.
Downstairs, the Days of Thunder Bowling Center is a four-lane, family-friendly alley with digital displays, touchpads, console food ordering, and a kiddie ramp. It is open most Saturdays with reserved time slots at 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. Lanes can be reserved for groups, parties, and bowling leagues. The price is $20 per lane per hour for up to five bowlers, with shoe rental at $2.50. Catering and party space can be added on request.
Greenwood Acres Christian College and School of Ministry
Founded in 1992 by Bishop Caldwell, Greenwood Acres Christian College is a school of higher learning for students whose chief aim is to be trained into Christ's image and to help transform others through His grace and power. The academic year runs through three trimesters - September to December, January to April, and May to August - with weekend class sessions that allow students to remain active in their local churches. Courses are taught by anointed instructors committed to God's uncompromising eternal word.
Degree programs include the Bachelor of Biblical Studies, Master of Biblical Studies, Master of Christian Counseling, Master of Divinity, Master of Religious Education, Doctor of Biblical Studies, and Doctor of Religious Education. The School of Ministry offers non-degree courses in the Healing Ministry of Jesus, the Power and Purpose of Prayer, and Rediscovering the Kingdom. Basic biblical courses range from the Gospels and Pentateuch to Homiletics and Church History, with concentrated electives in Bible Atlas, the Holy Trinity, Law and Offerings, the Doctrine of Righteousness, Church Finances, Expository Preaching, and the Dispensation of Grace. Counseling tracks cover Foundation of Biblical Counseling, Counseling the Abused, Crisis Counseling, Effective Prayer Counseling, and Holy Spirit Counseling. The college is led by Dean Dr. Dorothy Gilliam.
Sunday Bible School, Children, and Youth
The Sunday Bible School at Greenwood Acres is the spiritual seedbed of the church, harking back to the original 1958 class that launched the whole ministry. Lessons follow a quarterly curriculum, with each quarter walking the congregation through a connected theme of Scripture. The most recent quarters have traced wisdom through Proverbs, James, and Ecclesiastes, then moved through the compassion of the Lord, the Christmas light of John 1, and the love commandments of 1, 2, and 3 John. Lesson schedules are posted online so members can prepare throughout the week.
The Children's Ministry serves children ages 4 to 12 and meets during regular service times in the Family Life Centré and at the North Location, with a goal of teaching the Word of God in a way they can learn and apply. The Youth Ministry meets each Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. during the Mid-Week Bible Study in the Family Life Centré, with engaging activities and meaningful topics for children of all ages. Sunday Bible School Teacher's Meetings are scheduled separately at each campus to keep instruction aligned across both locations.
Music, Dance, and Drama
Anointed Praise, the dance ministry led by Sister Roshanda Spears, has four groups: Anointed Praize for adult women, Joyous Praize for young girls, Judah Praize for teen girls, and Men of Valor for teen boys and men. Members who would like to dance unto the Lord can try out for the group that suits them.
The Song Praise Ministry, led by Sister Stephanie McClain, carries three choirs: Faith Song Praise for children, Hope Song Praise for youth, and Love Song Praise for adults. The Acres Playmakers Drama Ministry, led by Sister Keesha Bishop-Darty, produces two major productions each year along with smaller acts on special occasions. The New World Book Club, meeting the second Saturday of each month, adds a different beat: members learn about African American individuals who made historical impacts on culture and nation.
Marriage, Singles, Young Adults, and Grief
Charis Marriage Ministry gathers at the Family Life Centré on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. for discussions and activities aimed at enriching marriage relationships. Zoé kONEcTIONS Singles Ministry, led by Dr. Loretha Bradley, meets the last Monday of each month at the same hour and address. Their slogan is "Nothing missing, Nothing Broken." THRIVE Young Adults Ministry, led by Kerry Hill, Sister Treneisha Hill, and Cheyenne Wilson, draws a younger demographic around the same calling.
For those walking through loss, the Mourning to Joy Grief Ministry meets at 12:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month at the Main Campus and is led by Minister Yolanda Adams. The ministry grew out of a series of articles titled "Help Along the Way" that were originally published on the church's site, addressing grief from several angles and grounded in scripture from Mark, Job, Isaiah, and 1 Thessalonians. The blog also carries reflections on loving one's enemies, gratitude, anxiety, and the believer's role as an ambassador for Christ.
Beyond the Walls: Helping Hands, Prison, Nursing Home, Street
Greenwood Acres carries its ministry into the wider Shreveport community through four outreach arms. Helping Hands Ministry, led by Sister Pamela LaFleur and Sister WandaSil, organizes annual drives to clothe the naked and feed the hungry through the members' resources - a practice the church has kept since 1981. The Prison Ministry, led by Brother Elijah Pryor, visits those incarcerated in the area. The Nursing Home Ministry, led by Sister Rodessa Jones, brings worship and conversation to older adults in care facilities. The Street Ministry, led by Brother Bill Roberson, takes the gospel directly to people in need on the streets.
Inside the building, the Sign Language Ministry, led by Minister Terry Black, makes the services accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing worshippers. The Hospitality Ministry, Helps Ministry, Logistics Ministry, Security Ministry, Usher Ministry, Digital and Sound Media team, and Intercessory Prayer Ministry round out the inreach that keeps Sunday and Wednesday services running. My Brothers' Keeper Men's Ministry and the Kingdom Kids Ministry round out the life of the church for men and children respectively.
KSYB 1300 AM and the Know Your Bible Broadcast
The church owns and operates KSYB 1300 AM, a radio station that extends Greenwood Acres beyond Shreveport. The Know Your Bible Broadcast, founded by Bishop Caldwell and continued by the congregation, reaches millions daily with solid Bible teaching. Episodes of the Know Your Bible Radio Podcast are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and iHeart. The station also carries additional programs throughout the week, including A Word for Tomorrow with Minister Steve Hardman, The Spoken Word with Dr. Joyce Adams on Mondays at 10:55 a.m., Ya Access with Minister Yolanda Johnson on Wednesdays at 3:55 p.m., Life in the Vine with Deacon Johnny Smith on Saturdays at 7:45 a.m., and Seed of Change with Dr. Henry Crooms on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Over 2.5 million Bible tracts have been distributed through the radio ministry to reach the lost and strengthen the saved.
Giving, Livestream, and Visiting
Greenwood Acres receives tithes and offerings online through the Abundant platform, by text to 73256 (text GWAFGBC plus the amount), in person at any of the three locations during worship service, or by mail. Services are livestreamed on YouTube through the GWA Know Your Bible Broadcast channel for members who cannot attend in person. New visitors are welcomed through an orientation class held on the fourth Saturday of each month as needed in the Atrium of the Family Life Centré. The office can be reached at (318) 938-1885 or greenwoodacres@comcast.net.