By STACEY PLAISANCE / L’Observateur / August 26, 1998

BOUTTE – An air battle against drugs, violence and other community evils was launched last weekend when members of the Believer’s Fellowship Church at Boutte organized a prayer flight expedition.

The prayer flight was part of the church’s Soul Winners Jubilee, an event designed to help improve the community by fighting “principality and the powers of darkness in high places,” explained Joan Crockett, pastor.

“Though there are real people out here shooting in our schools and neighborhoods and killing, these people are getting this from some special force. Satan is the principality, the prince of the air. We went up there toface Satan on his turf.”During the one-hour prayer flight Saturday afternoon, Apostle Lloyd Benson, Sr. and Bishop Ronald Crockett prayed for peace over the Orleans,Jefferson, St. James, LaPlace and Boutte areas. The prayer list consistedof defeating community evils such as racial discrimination, teenage pregnancy, illegal drug use, poverty and ignorance, Joan Crockett said.

“They flew over the Boutte area twice,” she said. “This is home, and wewanted extra prayer for all the violence going on in our schools. We’redoing whatever we know we can do to protect our schools and our children.”She said that while prayer flights are new to this area, they have been executed numerously around the nation in areas including Syracuse, N.Y.,San Diego, Calif., Baton Rouge and Jackson, Miss.The plane for Saturday’s expedition was chartered from Neal and Toni Nadler, owners of Air Reldon at the Lakefront Airport. Neal Nadler servedas pilot of the expedition.

The Soul Winners Jubilee program also included a furniture, clothing and appliance giveaway, an annual event held for the needy in the community.

“Our entire sidewalk and parking lot was lined with clothing, washers, dryers, living room and bedroom sets, and we were blessed to have been able to give away brand new furniture, appliances and even a stove that was only one year old,” Crockett said. The church does not sell donatedproducts, as all donations received are given to the needy in the community, she added.

Free barbecue chicken dinners were provided by the church at the jubilee, and more than 260 dinners were dispersed.

According to Crockett, the Soul Winners Jubilee was the church’s method of expressing concern for the community and taking action to improve it.

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