By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
PINEVILLE, La. — Newly-elected Louisiana Christian University President Mark Louis Johnson, Sr. has a bold vision to grow the school through fostering community for the Kingdom.
“It’s not about me, it’s about us, all of us who make up the LCU community,” Johnson told the Baptist Message. “We’re all doing this together, because that’s the only way Louisiana Christian University will grow.
“It is a presidency, not a president,” he said. “I’m wanting to bring people together to lead this institution together. One person goes fast, but a community goes far.”
Trustees of LCU elected Johnson as the school’s 10th president during a meeting, Feb. 25.
Johnson is a native of Anderson, Indiana, and has served as pastor of several churches, including Edgewater Baptist Church, New Orleans (2019-2021); chaplain for the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians), New Orleans Baby Cakes minor league baseball team and Tulane University men’s basketball team; and missionary. He also is the author of multiple books, a former professional basketball player in Europe and South America and a podcaster.
He currently is an assistant professor of evangelism and pastoral ministry and the director of the Doctor of Ministry program with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Search committee chair Tommy Kiker, pastor of East Leesville Baptist Church, expressed excitement about the hire.
“After nearly nine months of praying, listening, and seeking the Lord’s will, today’s approval of Dr. Mark Johnson as the 10th president of Louisiana Christian University is a wonderful answer to our diligent work and prayers,” Kiker said. “May God bless His school in the years ahead.
“He certainly has qualifications, incredible references, proven service in Southern Baptist and Louisiana Baptist life, but he has the ability to change the atmosphere of any room he walks into.”
Johnson also brings experience in fundraising.
Recently he served as a trustee of Washington and Jefferson College, including chairman of both the Development and Alumni Relations Committee and Student Success Committee. He also was a member of the Enrollment/Admissions Committee, and the Campaign Steering Committee advising on a $200 million campaign.
Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts from Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, Pennsylvania; a Master of Divinity and Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey; and the Doctor of Divinity from NOBTS. He is finalizing a Doctor of Philosophy in Evangelism and Leadership from NOBTS, examining the evangelistic strategies of Fred Luter, senior pastor with Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans.
Johnson and his wife, Heather, have four children: Mark Jr. (20), Jonathan (18), Victoria (15) and Benjamin (13).
ENGAGING COMMUNITY
When he officially assumes his role in June, Johnson said he will embark upon the P356 Tour, a series of 100 events in 100 days. Based on Proverbs 3:5-6, the effort will aim to engage the community and promote the university.
“It’s not me creating this; we’re doing this together,” he said. “And I think that’s the only way Louisiana Christian University will succeed.
“I’m wanting to bring people together to say, ‘let’s lead this institution together, not put it on one person, because that’s not possible,” he continued. “We lead together. That means we celebrate together.”
Johnson shared that he and his family will live in the Lynn Alumni Center, the building previously occupied by several past presidents of the school. Robert Lynn was the last president of the school (1975-1997) to live in the home, according to LCU.
“I believe it is essential to host potential students, current students, faculty, alumni, staff, and potential friends of the university on campus,” he said.
While at NOBTS, Johnson enjoyed living on campus, and he desires the same experience with LCU. He and his family plan to eat meals with students in the cafeteria, support the sports teams, cheer academic success, enjoy various theatrical activities and seek opportunities to encourage students through Bible studies and prayer.
“On the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary campus most faculty live on campus,” he said. “We see our students in the classroom, cafeteria, chapel and in our homes for sporting events, Bible studies, or just for a meal and good talk.”
He recalled one recent morning on LCU that reminded him of the value of living on campus.
“My wife and I were up walking at six in the morning, and we heard a sound coming from the stadium,” he said. “We see lights at the stadium. The football players are having preseason workouts.
“And then we see more lights over the tennis courts,” he continued. “Tennis balls are going everywhere, so we run across to the tennis courts and greet the team. You can’t get those moments if you’re not on campus.
“My family and I want to be a part of the LCU/Pineville community,” he said. “I want them to know my heart and build long-lasting relationships.”
PRAYERS SOUGHT
Johnson asked Louisiana Baptists to pray for him, his family and LCU in the coming years.
“Pray that we will be able to connect with like-minded alumni and friends of the university willing to join us in creating a campus atmosphere that will produce the kind of graduate-leaders who will make lasting contributions in both society and the Kingdom,” he said.
“Make disciples who make disciples is a cliché found on mission statements, but that best describes my heart,” he said. “We want to be a place where God trusts us with a generation of young people who not only achieve academically, socially, and professionally, but achieve spiritually because of their four years at Louisiana Christian University.
“I can’t tell you how full my heart is for those Louisiana Baptists and friends of the university who gave of their time, talent and financial resources to our institution for many years,” he said. “I owe them all a debt of gratitude and it is because of them that the administration, faculty, and staff are able to continue serving and I’m excited to be part of the journey.”
SAVED, CALLED
Johnson’s journey began as a seven-year-old when his mom, Kathy, extended an invitation to his twin brother, Matthew, older brother, Blandon, and younger sister, Annetta, and himself while they were traveling by car. Three years later, his relationship with Christ became personal while his uncle, Johnny, was preaching at a revival service at Pilgrim Baptist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Soon after, he was baptized by his father, Henry L. Johnson III.
“I just remember having this feeling in my heart that I’d never felt before,” Johnson said. “It has always been a collective salvation, where my brothers, sister, and myself all did it as like a kid’s fun game in the car with mom, ‘Yeah, I want Jesus.’ But during that revival night, something was different and I received Jesus for myself.
“I remember my parents’ tears of joy at my baptism, a moment that I will never forget because it started me on a personal journey to discover what God wanted to do next in my life.”
Eleven years after he accepted Christ, Johnson sensed the call to full-time ministry while he was a junior at Washington and Jefferson College.
“I remember going downstairs into the basement of Nazareth Baptist Church and looking myself in the mirror, and I said to the Lord, ‘What do you want from me?’ I remember hearing a voice in my heart saying, ‘I want you.’ And that’s when I broke down, and I knew I was being called into the ministry.”
SEARCH PROCESS
The hiring of Johnson ends a lengthy search to fill the position, most recently held by Rick Brewer, who retired in March. Between then and now, Vice President David Jeffreys served as acting president.
Since June, LCU has conducted a nationwide search for the 10th president of the nearly 120-year-old institution; and the search committee received applications and recommendations from alumni, community members and a national executive search firm.
More than 100 candidates showed interest, were recommended, or were contacted and of these 19 candidates emerged and from this group four semi-finalists were chosen.
The committee members included four trustees and two LCU faculty members as selected by vote of the full board during their spring meeting last year. Additionally, the search committee enlisted CarterBaldwin Executive Search, one of the top 50 firms of its type in the United States. CarterBaldwin reports that it has completed more than 200 executive placements in higher education, K-12 schools, foundations and nonprofit organizations in the last five years, many of which are faith-based or church-related organizations.
