Featured Photograph by Freddie Herpin.
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards noted Thursday that the recent reopening of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church south of Opelousas illustrates how community togetherness can be effective in overcoming devastating circumstances.
Edwards, whose brief stop at the site of the former Bellevue-area church that was completely destroyed by arson in 2019, coincided with the Christmas season when Edwards pointed out people normally emphasize togetherness and spiritual renewal.
During his speech inside the totally renovated church before a crowd of about 200, Edwards also recalled the related arson attacks at two other St. Landry Parish churches with predominantly Black congregations during a 10-day period in March and April over three years ago.
“In 2019 after the destruction of these three churches, I visited with all the pastors and their congregations and they have overcome that with prayer as well as their coming together as a community,” Edwards said.
Edwards said that he also discovered that individuals who attended the churches that were set ablaze, were not only praying for themselves and their congregations, but also for Holden Matthews, the parish resident who admitted his guilt and received federal felony sentences of 23 years and nearly restitution totaling nearly $2.5 million for burning Mount Pleasant, St. Mary’s Baptist Church and the Greater Union Baptist churches also located in the Opelousas area.
Mount Pleasant pastor Gerald Toussaint said in an interview afterward that the new church has been opened for services since Sept. 9.
The new exterior and interior renovations at Mount Pleasant, said Toussaint, have seemed to invigorate his congregation, whose Sunday attendance numbers have seemed to increase exponentially.
“Since we have built the new church from the ground up, it seems as though the people coming here are happier and more satisfied. I think getting into the new church seemed to take our people who often came here out of their comfort zones,” Toussaint said.
Toussaint said the revived attitude among the Mount Pleasant congregants has also seemed to remind his worshippers about the past.
“I think that along with the better conditions in this new building that may have made it more exciting for them, is our congregation now realizes the value of what they lost,” Toussaint added.
Included in Edwards’ speech were his comments about hate speech transmitted through social media, increasing anti-Semitic remarks and the rise of human trafficking in Louisiana.
Edwards, whose second term expires in 13 months, also discussed the spike in state juvenile crime and the need of social agencies and faith communities to provide assistance in reducing offenses committed by youths.
The appearance by Edwards moved into a town hall meeting-style format where the persons in attendance had opportunities to ask him questions and provide comments.
Opelousas resident Yvonne Normand told Edwards about the March 19 Love Fest scheduled for a second straight year in North City Park.
(The Love Fest) is our way of getting the community together and showing that we are a people of God. We enjoy a day of fellowship where we invite adults and children,” Normand said.
