Changes

   

   

Called to the ministry in 1960 at the age of seventeen, Lowery came to First Baptist Bossier in 1983 at the age of forty. Since that time, FBC has added a 2,500-seat worship center, remodeled each building on campus, purchased additional land, and added a children's addition, and a state-of-the-art preschool building called Tiny Town.<ref>Jane Bokun, "Dr. Fred Lowery celebrates 50 years in ministry", ''Shreveport Times'', September 15, 2010</ref>Lowery bases most of his sermons on the themes: "Faith, Family, and Friends" and "Steps to Restoring Relationsips".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://universityneurosurgery.com/index.php?src=news&submenu=News&srctype=detail&category=Articles%20and%20Columns&refno=9|title=Dr. Anil & Laura Nanda|publisher=''Shreveport Times'', October 30, 2005|accessdate=June 20, 2012}}</ref>

Called to the ministry in 1960 at the age of seventeen, Lowery came to First Baptist Bossier in 1983 at the age of forty. Since that time, FBC has added a 2,500-seat worship center, remodeled each building on campus, purchased additional land, and added a children's addition, and a state-of-the-art preschool building called Tiny Town.<ref>Jane Bokun, "Dr. Fred Lowery celebrates 50 years in ministry", ''Shreveport Times'', September 15, 2010</ref> Lowery bases most of his sermons on the themes: "Faith, Family, and Friends" and "Steps to Restoring Relationsips".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://universityneurosurgery.com/index.php?src=news&submenu=News&srctype=detail&category=Articles%20and%20Columns&refno=9|title=Dr. Anil & Laura Nanda|publisher=''Shreveport Times'', October 30, 2005|accessdate=June 20, 2012}}</ref>

First Baptist Bossier has more than seven thousand members. Lowery's website describes the pastor as having "a wonderful sense of humor, [who] goes straight to God's word and offers fresh insight as he communicates the truth of [[Christianity]] in practical ways. To him, life's bottom line is faith, family and friends."<ref name=lowery>{{cite web|url=http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/the-first-word/read/|title=The First Word with Dr. Fred Lowery|publisher=oneplace.com|accessdate=June 16, 2012}}</ref> ''The First Word'' broadcasts, which began in June 1983, air at 7 a.m. Central Time Sundays. For a number of years, Lowery's broadcast has been the top-rated Sunday program in the tri-state area of northwestern Louisiana, east Texas, and southwestern [[Arkansas]]. Sermons can also be accessed at SermonSearch.com.<ref name=lowery/>

First Baptist Bossier has more than seven thousand members. Lowery's website describes the pastor as having "a wonderful sense of humor, [who] goes straight to God's word and offers fresh insight as he communicates the truth of [[Christianity]] in practical ways. To him, life's bottom line is faith, family and friends."<ref name=lowery>{{cite web|url=http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/the-first-word/read/|title=The First Word with Dr. Fred Lowery|publisher=oneplace.com|accessdate=June 16, 2012}}</ref> ''The First Word'' broadcasts, which began in June 1983, air at 7 a.m. Central Time Sundays. For a number of years, Lowery's broadcast has been the top-rated Sunday program in the tri-state area of northwestern Louisiana, east Texas, and southwestern [[Arkansas]]. Sermons can also be accessed at SermonSearch.com.<ref name=lowery/>

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 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.

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/>  

Lowery's book ''Covenant Marriage: Staying Together for Life'' was published in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-xyA4D3IAdEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=''Covenant+Marriage:+Staying+Together+for+Life.''&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pTPdT7vfKoHM9QSQqLTwCg&sqi=2&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=''Covenant%20Marriage%3A%20Staying%20Together%20for%20Life.''&f=false|title=''Covenant Marriage: Staying Together for Life'' ISBN: 1-58229-393-7|publisher=Howard Books|accessdate=June 16, 2012}}</ref> According to his website, a [[Covenant marriage]] is one designed by [[God]] who knows that an otherwise simple "contract, easily cancelled, would not sustain the pain of a flawed marriage. God knew that the inevitable hurts and hassles, storms and struggles, difficulties and disappointments would tear at the heart of a contractual agreement, and it would disintegrate into a thousand pieces scattered along a trail of hurt, horror and hell."<ref name=lowery/>

Lowery's book ''Covenant Marriage: Staying Together for Life'' was published in 2002.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-xyA4D3IAdEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=''Covenant+Marriage:+Staying+Together+for+Life.''&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pTPdT7vfKoHM9QSQqLTwCg&sqi=2&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=''Covenant%20Marriage%3A%20Staying%20Together%20for%20Life.''&f=false|title=''Covenant Marriage: Staying Together for Life'' ISBN 1-58229-393-7|publisher=Howard Books|accessdate=June 16, 2012}}</ref> According to his website, a [[Covenant marriage]] is one designed by [[God]] who knows that an otherwise simple "contract, easily cancelled, would not sustain the pain of a flawed marriage. God knew that the inevitable hurts and hassles, storms and struggles, difficulties and disappointments would tear at the heart of a contractual agreement, and it would disintegrate into a thousand pieces scattered along a trail of hurt, horror and hell."<ref name=lowery/>

Other Lowery books, published before 2000, are:<br>

Other Lowery books, published before 2000, are:<br>