Friendship Baptist Church in Owasso, OK celebrated the 25th anniversary of Linzy and Carla Slayden on July 16, 2017.
The church celebrated with special guests Jon Sladyen, pastor of Second Baptist Church of Midland, TX and Lance Harrington, executive pastor of Abundant Life Baptist Church of Lee’s Summit, MO both preaching during the morning service.
Slayden graduated from Baptist Bible College in 1983 and moved to Owasso in 1992 after serving nearly 10 years on sta in churches in Illinois and Oklahoma. Over the past 25 years, Friendship Baptist has grown from 39 people meeting in a living room to around 2,000 members who gather in their current 106,000 square-foot facility.
Slayden states, “God has done some neat things over these past 25 years. I like to celebrate victories in people’s lives. I like to see what we’ve done for missions.” He goes on to state, “We are a strong church family. I’m a shepherd, not a rancher, so I’m interested in lives and marriages and families as a shepherd.” Slayden shared three “secrets to success” in pastoring at the same place for 25 years. First, you have to be faithful to what the Word of God says. Second, you have to embrace and support other’s giftedness. Finally, you have to be well balanced and blended in ministry and life.