The Vineyard Church of Slidell
After pastoring a congregation for eight years in Slidell, Jim and Betty Long left their church, which was part of a conservative denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America. This church had as part of its confessional statement, the belief that revelation ceased with the age of the apostles. This belief was different from Jim’s view that God still gave counsel and guidance to His people, and that the Spirit moved in the various gifts as found in I Corinthians 12-14. Thus, Jim and Betty found disfavor and were forced to leave the denomination or face censure. They had both been raised in conservative Presbyterianism and found it frightening to have to strike out on their own. They founded a tiny non-denominational and non-charismatic fellowship called "New Life Community Church" in Slidell in 1982. There, God began to open them up to the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Kingdom of God.
In 1984, they had begun to hear of John Wimber and the Vineyard, and were led to attend the James Robison Bible Conference in Dallas where John Wimber was a featured speaker. Returning again to the conference in 1985, Betty joined Jim in the release of the Spirit in her life as John Wimber once again ministered. Shortly, Jim and Betty contacted a new infant VCF in New Orleans, where a national Vineyard leader was to speak. Many of the members of the New Life church were touched and Jim felt the call to join the Vineyard officially.
Danny Daniels, at the time worship leader at the Vineyard in Denver, was dispatched to minister that Sunday in our fellowship. Wow! God showed up! The congregation quickly shrunk as people feared the power of God, and soon we were asked to find a new facility.
Since that time in 1985, the Vinedresser of the Vineyard has been pruning, growing, nurturing and expanding the Vineyard Church in Slidell. Much has been suffered, and much has been done and learned in God’s kingdom.
As of 1993, Pastor Jim began going on mission trips to Columbia, South America and Costa Rica, Central America. 1994 saw the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our fellowship after area Vineyard leaders went to Toronto where God was doing a mighty work.
In the ensuing years, the Lord has broken ambition and pride, and brought an expectant humility to the leadership of the Vineyard. With that has come an acute desire to only see God’s purposes accomplished and not their own.
In January of 2002, God has prepared several factors that will propel us into the labor of the new season. A new building was completed and occupied in mid-January, new staff joined the endeavor, and a vision and action plan was initiated to evangelize and minister to the surrounding community.