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'''Fred Lee Lowery''' (born March 16, 1943) is the retiring senior pastor of the large First [[Baptist]] Church of Bossier City in northwestern [[Louisiana]], whose Sunday sermons under the title "The First Word" are broadcast on KTBS-TV, the [[ABC]] affiliate in [[Shreveport]], and on several cable television outlets.

'''Fred Lynn Lowery''' (born March 16, 1943) is the retiring senior pastor of the large First [[Baptist]] Church of Bossier City in northwestern [[Louisiana]], whose Sunday sermons under the title "The First Word" are broadcast on KTBS-TV, the [[ABC]] affiliate in [[Shreveport]], and on several cable television outlets.

   

   

==Background==

==Background==

Lowery's father was a Baptist pastor, also named Fred L. Lowery. His mother, the former Esther Burkhalter resided in Hurst, [[Texas]], prior to her death in July 2013. Lowery's younger brother, John Daniel Lowery of Aiken, [[South Carolina]], a former automobile salesman and dealer and an [[Alabama]] native, died in 2013 at the age of sixty-eight. He has a sister, Jeannie Metts and husband Roy of Colleyville, Texas, and another brother, Dr. Charles S. Lowery and wife Penny of Plano, Texas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shellhousefuneralhome.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=2043936&fh_id=11117|title=John Daniel Lowery  

Lowery's father was a Baptist pastor, also named Fred L. Lowery. His mother, the former Esther Burkhalter resided in Hurst, [[Texas]], prior to her death in July 2013. Lowery's younger brother, John Daniel Lowery of Aiken, [[South Carolina]], a former automobile salesman and dealer and an [[Alabama]] native, died in 2013 at the age of sixty-eight. He has a sister, Jeannie Metts and husband H. Leroy "Roy" Metts of Colleyville, Texas, and another brother, Dr. Charles S. Lowery and wife Penny of Plano, Texas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shellhousefuneralhome.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=2043936&fh_id=11117|title=John Daniel Lowery  

(August 21, 1944 - April 3, 2013)|publisher=shellhousefuneralhome.com|accessdate=May 29, 2013}}</ref>   

(August 21, 1944 - April 3, 2013)|publisher=shellhousefuneralhome.com|accessdate=May 29, 2013}}</ref>   

Lowery received his [[Bachelor of Arts]] from Samford University in Homewood, a suburb of [[Birmingham]], Alabama, a Master of Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in [[Fort Worth]], Texas, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Luther Rice University, then in [[Jacksonville]], [[Florida]]. While at SWBTS, Lowery was accepted into the honors program to participate in interdisciplinary seminars at the doctoral level. He was the recipient of the Sella P. Ross Award for scholarship and service in the field of evangelism. He was a teaching fellow in both evangelism and church growth. Prior to coming to First Baptist Bossier in 1983, Lowery worked full-time in evangelism and served as pastor of First Baptist Church of North Spartanburg in Spartanburg, [[South Carolina]].<ref name=okbu>{{cite web|url=http://www.okbu.edu/news/2000-02-14/lowery-featured-speaker-for-obu-chapel-service|title=LoweryFeatured Speaker for Oklahoma Baptist University Chapel Service, February 14, 2000|publisher=okbu.edu|accessdate=June 16, 2012}}</ref>

Lowery received his [[Bachelor of Arts]] from Samford University in Homewood, a suburb of [[Birmingham]], Alabama, a Master of Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in [[Fort Worth]], Texas, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Luther Rice University, then in [[Jacksonville]], [[Florida]]. While at SWBTS, Lowery was accepted into the honors program to participate in interdisciplinary seminars at the doctoral level. He was the recipient of the Sella P. Ross Award for scholarship and service in the field of evangelism. He was a teaching fellow in both evangelism and church growth. Prior to coming to First Baptist Bossier in 1983, Lowery worked full-time in evangelism and served as pastor of First Baptist Church of North Spartanburg in Spartanburg, [[South Carolina]].<ref name=okbu>{{cite web|url=http://www.okbu.edu/news/2000-02-14/lowery-featured-speaker-for-obu-chapel-service|title=LoweryFeatured Speaker for Oklahoma Baptist University Chapel Service, February 14, 2000|publisher=okbu.edu|accessdate=June 16, 2012}}</ref>

Lowery and his wife, the former Lisabeth Leigh Jones (born 1951), whom he frequently mentions in his sermons, have two daughters, Shelby Lynn Lowery, and Christy Camille Lowery Faciane. He previously lived in Homer in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, Avon Park in Highlands County in southern Florida, and Inman in Spartanburg County in northwestern South Carolina.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peoplesearch.com/PeopleSearchResults.aspx?utf8=%E2%9C%93&txtfirstname=Fred&txtlastname=Lowery&statepicked=LA&imgPeopleSearch.x=25&imgPeopleSearch.y=34|title=Search Results for Lowery, Fred in LA|publisher=peoplesearch.com|accessdate=June 16, 2012}}</ref>

Lowery and his wife, the former Lisabeth Leigh Jones (born 1951), whom he frequently mentions in his sermons, have two daughters,   Christy Camille Lowery Faciane and Shelby Lynn Lowery Koch. He previously lived in Homer in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, Avon Park in Highlands County in southern Florida, and Inman in Spartanburg County in northwestern South Carolina.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peoplesearch.com/PeopleSearchResults.aspx?utf8=%E2%9C%93&txtfirstname=Fred&txtlastname=Lowery&statepicked=LA&imgPeopleSearch.x=25&imgPeopleSearch.y=34|title=Search Results for Lowery, Fred in LA|publisher=peoplesearch.com|accessdate=June 16, 2012}}</ref>

==Pastor and author==

==Pastor and author==

Lowery is a former president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, based in Alexandria, and a former vice president and president of the Pastor's Conference, an influential position, in the [[Southern Baptist Convention]], headquartered in [[Nashville]], [[Tennessee]]. At the 1993 Pastor's Conference in Houston, when Lowery was the president, the speakers focused on II Chronicles 7:14 "to encourage and help our pastors as they deal with hurting people. he path of our society is causing incredible problems in the lives of our people." Lowery said at the conference, "We have a moral and spiritual crisis in America today. ... To me our choices are revival or judgment."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/7541,31-Mar-1993.pdf|title=Art Toalston, "Pastors' Conference to focus on America's need for revival|publisher=''Baptist Press'', March 31, 1993|accessdate=June 20, 2012}}</ref>

Lowery is a former president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, based in Alexandria, and a former vice president and president of the Pastor's Conference, an influential position, in the [[Southern Baptist Convention]], headquartered in [[Nashville]], [[Tennessee]]. At the 1993 Pastor's Conference in Houston, when Lowery was the president, the speakers focused on II Chronicles 7:14 "to encourage and help our pastors as they deal with hurting people. he path of our society is causing incredible problems in the lives of our people." Lowery said at the conference, "We have a moral and spiritual crisis in America today. ... To me our choices are revival or judgment."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/7541,31-Mar-1993.pdf|title=Art Toalston, "Pastors' Conference to focus on America's need for revival|publisher=''Baptist Press'', March 31, 1993|accessdate=June 20, 2012}}</ref>

Lowery is a trustee of Louisiana College in Pineville and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary,<ref name=okbu/>of which he had been a candidate for the chancellorship in the 1990s.

Lowery has been a trustee of Louisiana College in Pineville and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary,<ref name=okbu/>of which he had been a candidate for the chancellorship in the 1990s.

   

   

With [[Charles Stanley]] of the First Baptist Church of [[Atlanta]], Georgia, Lowery is the co-author of ''Making the Bible Clear'' (1980).<ref>Fred L. Lowery and [[Charles Stanley]], ''Making the Bible Clear'', Love Publishing, 1980, 308 pp., ISBN 0-961079223</ref> Lowery has also written ''Starting Here, Starting Now: A Christian's Guide to Getting Unstuck'' (1986),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Starting-here-starting-now-christians/dp/0939359006|title=''Starting Here, Starting Now: A Christian's Guide to Getting Unstuck'', ISBN: 0939359006 |publisher=Love Publishing Company, 1986|accessdate=June 15, 2012}}</ref> and ''Home Improvement 101''.<ref name=lowery/>  

With [[Charles Stanley]] of the First Baptist Church of [[Atlanta]], Georgia, Lowery is the co-author of ''Making the Bible Clear'' (1980).<ref>Fred L. Lowery and [[Charles Stanley]], ''Making the Bible Clear'', Love Publishing, 1980, 308 pp., ISBN 0-961079223</ref> Lowery has also written ''Starting Here, Starting Now: A Christian's Guide to Getting Unstuck'' (1986),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Starting-here-starting-now-christians/dp/0939359006|title=''Starting Here, Starting Now: A Christian's Guide to Getting Unstuck'', ISBN: 0939359006 |publisher=Love Publishing Company, 1986|accessdate=June 15, 2012}}</ref> and ''Home Improvement 101''.<ref name=lowery/>