Answering the Call - Baton Rouge

“I heard Stephen put the call out at the ICMC, but it still didn't come to me that I would decide to go,” Randy said. “However, it was immediately placed on Carlston's heart as soon as he heard Stephen's call.”

Carlston Mills, an Information Technology junior and fellow disciple at USC, said he dreamed of being used by God to reach the lost just as Jesus sent out his disciples in the Bible.

“I wanted to really have that experience and become nothing so that the Word can be preached to the masses,” said Carlston, who was baptized into Christ in April 2009. “I know that without a campus ministry I would not be a disciple, so I know the importance of this.”

Randy, who became a disciple in November 2008, encouraged his friend to “go where God was leading him,” but decided he was going to stay in Columbia or do a foreign exchange in another country. However, a month later God began to work on Randy’s heart.

“I prayed for God to make it clear where he wanted me and he did.”

Carlston and Randy looked into the National Student Exchange program at USC, which allows students the opportunity to study for a year, one semester, or a summer at one or more of nearly 200 institutions within the United States, U.S. territories and Canada.

With the encouragement of their campus minister David Laing and the reluctant support of their families, Randy and Carlston made the faith-filled decision to spend their spring semester at LSU.

“[God] worked out all of the exchange issues and made it very clear that Carlston and I were to stay together to help the [Baton Rouge] campus ministry,” Randy said. “Halfway through the semester I was completely sold out on coming down and doing everything I could to build the campus ministry here.”

The number of students in the ministry has nearly doubled from last semester with the addition of Randy, Carlton and the ministry’s first baptism, Chantell Bush, a freshman studying nursing at Baton Rouge Community College.

When the New Orleans Church hired the Van Buerens to start the ministry in June 2009, it seemed they might be building with the only disciple at LSU, urban geology doctoral student Myrtho Joseph. However, before the fall semester began three disciples from other ICOC churches moved to Baton Rouge to continue their studies.

One of them was Jacob Rideau, a Baton Rouge native who came to Christ while attending Morehouse College in Atlanta. Jacob, now a first-year law student at Southern University, described being back home as a chance to do good where he once did harm.

“Before becoming a disciple I hurt so many people out here and was an enemy of God, and now God actually gave me a chance to be a disciple and help people out here,” he said. “It truly is a blessing.”

The disciples of the Baton Rouge campus ministry are hoping to make a huge impact for God beginning this spring when the ministry holds its inaugural service.

The inaugural service for the Baton Rouge Campus Ministry, which is sponsored by the New Orleans Church, is scheduled for March 21, 2009. Disciples all over are invited and encouraged to attend and assist in a great start to God's ministry on the campuses of Louisiana. The weekend will begin Saturday, March 20 with a “Celebration Dinner” of Louisiana cuisine at 5 p.m. at the LSU International Cultural Center. The cost of the dinner will be $10. This time of fellowship, food and fun will be accented with live music and images of the campus ministry’s past and present. Please RSVP as early as possible to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to ensure you will not miss out. It will truly be a night to remember.

Kevin Darby of the Athens Church of Christ will lead the congregation in giving praise to God Sunday morning in the LSU Union Ballroom at 11 a.m. Dr. Mark Ottenweller, a graduate of McNeese State and the LSU Medical School and widely recognized for his HIV/AIDS work in Africa through HOPE worldwide; and Mike Fontenot, who served in the full-time ministry at LSU as a young campus minister, will once again call students in Louisiana out of the darkness and into God’s wonderful light.

Campus disciples whose Spring Break precedes the weeks before the service are encouraged to consider spending that week in Baton Rouge to help the Baton Rouge campus ministry bring as many students from LSU, Southern University and Baton Rouge Community College to witness what God is doing through his church in Louisiana.

“So far it has been awesome to be here with the BR campus ministry and to be on campus at LSU,”

Randy said. “We are being stretched spiritually everyday doing whatever we can to have an impact on this campus. I've seen my boldness grow already in the few weeks I've been here.”

Photo caption: Steve Stephenson, evangelist of the New Orleans Church, preaches the Word during a house church service in Baton Rouge. In addition to the campus ministry, Baton Rouge is home to nearly 30 single and married disciples from the New Orleans Church.

Like Randy, Carlston said the decision to come to LSU and be a part of the ministry in Baton Rouge has built his faith. In addition to the campus ministry, Baton Rouge is home to a family of nearly 30 single and married disciples from the New Orleans Church.

“This helps me so much when it comes to spiritual growth,” he said. “I love the Baton Rouge ministry. They encourage me so much and keep me motivated. The faith and love they have is so amazing.”

Carlston and Randy encourage any students considering joining the mission in Baton Rouge for a semester or longer to commit their plans to prayer and trust God to lead them.

“Think long and hard but follow your heart. All you need is faith and prayer on this type of journey. God will take care of the rest. God will definitely bless the faith of anyone who will leave family and friends to come build a campus ministry,” they said.

For more information on the special events of this inspiringweekend,contact Stephen Van Bueren at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

posted by Jerry Maday, Worcester, MA