NEW ORLEANS (BP) – Pastors Fred Luter and Alan Cross will lead a walking tour of New Orleans from 6:30-8:30 a.m. June 14 during the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting.

Luter, senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, and Cross, lead pastor of Petaluma Baptist Church in Petaluma, Calif., bring years of local ministry experience to the tour sponsored by The Unify Project, a nationwide Southern Baptist racial reconciliation initiative.

“The history of New Orleans is one of a diverse array of peoples and nations colliding and collaborating to make the city into one of the great cultural centers of the world,” Luter said. “Through all of this, God has placed a witness of His grace in the city through the church to point to the better way of Jesus.

“We’ll explore how looking at the history of a city from a multiethnic view can help us see the barriers and bridges to the Gospel there and the unique contribution each city can make to the world.”

The Unify Project promotes the tour as an opportunity to “unravel the city’s mesmerizing tapestry of history while stirring your spirit with stories of hope and divine providence, fostering a deep sense of anticipation for God’s plans.”

Luter, the lone African American to have served as SBC president, has ministered in New Orleans more than 40 years. Cross ministered extensively across the southern U.S. before relocating to California in 2019.

Registration for the free event is available here, with a capacity of 30.

Learn more about the Unify Project at theunifyproject.org.