Fred Luter Jr., senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, is featured on the latest episode of New Orleans Seminary’s “Beyond the Pulpit” podcast series.

The podcast, launched in August, features NOBTS President Jamie Dew conversing with a variety of guests about various ministry and life topics. This week’s episode features Luter discussing his testimony, his call into ministry and his advice as a long-tenured pastor.  

Luter has served as pastor of Franklin Avenue for 39 years. It is the only church he has ever served as the lead pastor.  

A motorcycle accident led Luter to turn to Christ as a young man, and after several years of street preaching, Luter was elected senior pastor of Franklin Avenue in 1986.  

During his ministry, Luter has led Franklin Avenue through a variety of difficult times to become one of most notable churches in New Orleans and the entire Southern Baptist Convention.  

When he became pastor, Franklin Avenue had less than 100 members. The church now hosts thousands of attendees every Sunday.   

Franklin Avenue was a crucial force in the recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005 and is considered by many to be the iconic church of the city.  

Luter was later elected as president of the SBC in 2012, becoming the first African American to serve in the role.  

In 2023, NOBTS named their newly remodeled Student Center in honor of Luter, and thousands of New Orleanians and several SBC leaders attended the dedication ceremony. 

Dew asked Luter what has been the key to his long and successful tenure at Franklin Avenue. Luter said although there have been some tough times, what kept him going was his ultimate purpose.  

“There have been Saturday nights that I would think to myself, ‘I’m not going,’” Luter said. 

“When I have those moments where I want to quit, or I want to take a drive to Biloxi, Gulfport or Orange Beach, I just remember who called me to do this. My momma didn’t call me to do this. My daddy didn’t call me to do this. And even though the members of Franklin Avenue elected me to do this, God is the one who called me to do it. 

“When I realized that God is the one who called me, I know that I am doing this for an audience of one. It changes my perspective. In spite of how I feel mentally or emotionally, before I go up into the pulpit I will say, ‘God, this is your time. Hide me behind the cross and let them not see Fred but see you.’” 

The full episode is available now on all major podcast platforms.  

The full video version is below.