Cedar Crest Baptist Church sits on Arkansas Road in West Monroe, Louisiana, gathering twice on Sunday mornings and once on Wednesday evenings around the same three words: Abide, Engage, Invest. For decades the church has rooted itself in the Bible, sent mission teams across the country and around the world, and made room for a remarkable span of people - from nursing-home volunteers and a motorcycle ministry to a state-licensed daycare that opens at seven in the morning five days a week. At Cedar Crest, we abide in Christ, engage the lost, and invest our all for His Glory.
Two Sunday Mornings and a Midweek Service on Arkansas Road
The weekly rhythm at Cedar Crest is built around two Sunday services and a Wednesday night gathering, with everything else in between - small groups, children's ministry, students, men's and women's studies, senior adult fellowships - designed to feed into those times.
Sunday worship happens at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM in the Worship Center, with a third hour, 9:45 AM, set aside for Life Groups across the church. Wednesday adds supper at 5:15 PM and a full slate of programs at 6:30 PM, including a corporate worship service open to everyone. The church's address is 3245 Arkansas Road, West Monroe, Louisiana 71291, and the phone rings at (318) 396-4953.
Visitors are greeted with what the church calls a warm welcome. The four things new guests can count on are: a friendly face at the door, Christ-centered worship rooted in Scripture, community for every age through Life Groups, and a place for families from nursery through student ministry.
Abide, Engage, Invest: The Three Words That Shape Everything
Three short words hold the entire church together. Abide means remaining rooted in Christ through prayer, Scripture, and worship. Engage means living out faith by building relationships and serving others. Invest means giving time, gifts, and resources to grow God's Kingdom.
The mission statement points the same way: the church seeks to obey the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40), which fuels its passion, and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), which is its central purpose, and to persevere on that mission until Christ returns. Cedar Crest also names six revitalization goals: to be welcoming and inviting, to practice radical generosity, to have a vibrant prayer ministry, to strengthen marriages and families, to expand gospel reach through social media, and to complete the campus.
Sunday Mornings: 8:30, Life Groups, 11:00
Two Sunday morning services give the church room to breathe. The 8:30 AM service is described as the first worship gathering of the morning, and the 11:00 AM service as the second. Both run about an hour and fifteen minutes and follow the same pattern: nursery care is available for children from birth through three years old, while kindergarten through fifth grade children begin the service with their families and are dismissed to Kids Church at a designated time, then return to their parents at the end.
Between the two services, at 9:45 AM, Life Groups meet. These are the small groups of the church, organized for every age and season - kids, students, and adults, whether married, single, young, or seasoned. The church describes Life Groups as the place where real spiritual growth happens: relationships form, burdens are shared, and faith becomes part of everyday life. Groups open God's Word together, pray for one another, and learn what it means to follow Jesus side by side. Anyone needing help finding a Life Group can contact Pastor Lynn.
Wednesday Nights Around the Supper Table
If Sunday is the front door of the church, Wednesday is the kitchen. Supper is served in the Worship Center at 5:15 PM, with plates at $5 for adults and children and $3 for students. Doors for students open at 5:30 PM, and the night's programming kicks off in earnest at 6:00 PM.
At 6:30 PM the church runs a set of parallel programs for everyone in the family. Students in middle and high school gather for Midweek, an evening of worship, teaching, and small groups. Kids meet for Kids Activities, which include Mission Friends, Girls in Action (GAs), and Royal Ambassadors (RAs), with nursery provided for the youngest. Men gather for Bible study. A general Midweek worship service is open to all adults. And a special class called Fifth Grade Forged gives tweens a discipleship track of their own, helping them see how following Jesus shapes both heart and life.
Wednesday nights end at 7:30 PM. The full evening - supper, study, fellowship - has the feel of a long family table.
The Pastoral Team
Greg Clark has served as Senior Pastor since December 1997. A native of Dothan, Alabama, he holds a Bachelor of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University and both a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Mary have two adult children, Niki and Nathan.
Lynn Wilson came on staff as Administrative Pastor in January 2013 after retiring from a thirty-plus year career in health care management. He and his wife Donna and their three sons have been members of Cedar Crest since 1988. Lynn has a passion for supporting church ministries, strengthening leadership, and helping create systems that allow the church to thrive.
Austin Prince serves as Associate and Student Pastor. A graduate of Troy University, he and his wife Sydney have three children - Tobias, Harper, and Gideon. After three and a half years of pastoral experience in Florida, Austin and his family were called to Louisiana, where he is dedicated to equipping students to abide, engage, invest, and become devoted followers of Jesus.
Frank Valenzano returned to Cedar Crest as Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Missions. He first came to faith and was called to ministry at Cedar Crest, then spent twenty-five years serving across Louisiana and Mississippi in roles including church planting and campus pastoring. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Anne have three children: Abigail, Ethan, and Deacon.
Lydia Garlington directs the Children's Ministry. A graduate of Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in Early Childhood Education, she was named one of Ouachita Parish's Top 5 Elementary Teachers of the Year during seven years of public school teaching before joining the Cedar Crest staff in September 2022. She and her husband Cody have two daughters.
Sarah Terral serves as Children's Ministry Associate and supervises the church's nursery staff. A member of Cedar Crest since 2018, she serves in the New Mom's ministry and started Moms on Mission. She and her husband Jonathan have four children: Lylen, Vivian, Grayson, and Jack.
Jeremy Lowe leads worship, directing the Praise and Worship Team and band on Sunday mornings, casting vision for services, planning and preparing weekly worship, and working with the AVL team. He has more than twenty years of worship leadership experience. He, his wife Dana, and their children Dara and Levi joined Cedar Crest at the beginning of 2023.
Jonathan Gregory serves as Worship Associate. A graduate of Northeast Baptist School, he has been serving in worship leadership for fifteen years and joined the Cedar Crest staff in 2025. He and his wife Jaidyn have been married since 2024.
Mindy LeBlanc directs the adult choir. A graduate of West Monroe High School and the University of Louisiana at Monroe, she has taught music and choir at area middle and high schools and served as Worship Leader and Choir Director at Parkview Baptist Church for four years. She and her husband Tim have three daughters: Caroline, Gabby, and Annalise.
Jaxon Thompson joined the staff as a Student Ministry intern. A graduate of West Monroe High School, where he captained the soccer team, he is studying nursing at Louisiana Tech University. He has a heart for serving students and helping the next generation know and follow Jesus.
Jane Scallan directs Cedar Crest's Day Care Center, with more than thirty years of experience as a daycare director. She and her husband Greg have been members of the church since 2019.
Kids Ministry and Fifth Grade Forged
The Children's Ministry at Cedar Crest aims to develop disciples of Jesus Christ through the consistent teaching of unchanging biblical doctrine and through showing how the truth of Scripture shapes how we live in relation to society, regardless of cultural change, contemporary challenges, or modern temptations. Children learn through worship, teaching, and purposeful activities, partnering with their families to live a life of passion, purpose, and perseverance.
On Sundays during both services, K-5 children are dismissed to Kids Church partway through the service. On Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM, the program is more layered. Mission Friends, Girls in Action, and Royal Ambassadors provide age-appropriate activities, lessons, and fellowship, with nursery care for the youngest. A newer offering called Fifth Grade Forged is designed especially for fifth graders, a small-group discipleship class where tweens can see how following Jesus shapes both heart and life.
The ministry points families toward a wide shelf of resources: the Explorer Bible for Kids, the Grace Bible for Kids CSB, the Journal and Draw Bible for Kids, the Read To Me Bible, the Kids' Devotional Bible, and family studies like Not Consumed, Beginner's Bible 365 Devotions, The Answers Books for Kids Box Set, Meeting With Jesus, The Case for Christ Devotions for Kids, Best News Ever, Roar Like a Lion, and Bible Questions and Answers for Kids.
Cedar Crest Students: Midweek, DLife, LifeGroups, and Sunday Night Hangs
Cedar Crest Students exists to help middle and high schoolers grow in their faith, build lasting friendships, and live boldly for Christ. The ministry comes alongside parents to lead students to abide in Christ daily, engage with others through the gospel, and invest their lives in God's Kingdom as sold-out disciples of Jesus.
Wednesday Midweek is the heart of the student week. Doors open at 5:30 PM for a $5 dinner, and the gathering runs from 6:00 to 7:30 PM with engaging worship, an encouraging message, and small groups designed to help students grow in faith and community. Sunday Night Hangs, a once-a-month gathering in the Student Center, adds a more laid-back evening of food, games, and good company - the kind of night built for bringing a friend along. Other touchpoints include DLife, LifeGroups, and camps and events designed to point students to Jesus and grow them as disciples.
The students also have a podcast, Unfiltered Faith, a Cedar Crest Students podcast for biblical teaching and real-life discussion. Recommended reading includes the Gospel Transformation Study Bible, Conversation Starters for Teens video kits, Facing Fear 30 Day Devotional, The Student's Guide to Tapping into the Superpower of Mindset, Not My Jesus, and 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity.
Women's Ministry: Bible Studies, Woven, and Wednesday Suppers
The Women's Ministry at Cedar Crest exists to help women abide in Christ, grow in His Word, and be refreshed through prayer, worship, and discipleship. It creates spaces for authentic community where women are known, encouraged, and supported in every season of life, through small groups, mentorship, and meaningful conversations. Women are also equipped to invest their gifts, time, and influence in God's Kingdom - serving others, sharing the gospel, and making an impact in their homes, church, and community.
The mission comes to life through Bible studies, Wednesday night suppers, Sunday coffee service, Woven groups, El Roi outreach, women's events, care for new moms, and Love Thy Neighbor. The recommended shelf runs from Grace in Chaos, Daughters of Grace, You Belong Here, and the Praying Scripture for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Journal, to Fields of Grace, a study of Ruth. For marriage, the list includes The 31 Day Pursuit Challenge Couple's Bundle, the I Said This You Heard That study, the Love and Respect conference and ten-week study, and the Love and War Devotional for Couples. Parenting resources include Raising Passionate Jesus Followers, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, Parenting God's Way, and Family Discipleship.
Men's Ministry
The goal of Men's Ministry is to encourage and equip men to become fully devoted followers of Jesus. Consistent with the church's themes of Abiding, Engaging, and Investing, men are provided opportunities for spiritual growth, encouraged to use their particular gifts to impact those they come in contact with, and given opportunities for recreational and fellowship activities that are exciting and offer Christian formation.
The Wednesday night Men's Bible Study at 6:30 PM is a regular anchor, with the men gathering to study God's Word, build lasting friendships, and learn how to apply biblical truth to everyday life. The recommended reading list includes Wild at Heart, Doctrine: It's All About Jesus!, The Titus Ten: Foundations for Godly Manhood, Disciplines of a Godly Man, and No More Excuses. The same marriage and parenting resources recommended for women are suggested for men as well.
Senior Adults and the Springtime Jubilee
At Cedar Crest, the church says, there is no such thing as a retired Christian. The Senior Adult Ministry encourages and equips senior adults to abide in Christ while remaining active and engaged in the life of the church, creating spaces for fellowship, encouragement, and spiritual growth through monthly gatherings that include games, shared meals, devotional time, and the singing of beloved hymns that have shaped generations of faith.
Seniors are encouraged to stay involved through DLife Groups, Sunday worship, and Wednesday evening gatherings, and to take their turn mentoring and investing in younger generations. The annual Springtime Jubilee in Branson, Missouri, draws the seniors together for several days of worship, fellowship, and concerts from artists such as Mark Lowry, David Phelps, Sandi Patty, Jason Crabb, Greater Vision, and Legacy Five, alongside speakers including Dr. Robert Jeffress, Johnny Hunt, and Benny Tate. Ester Hicks coordinates the trip.
F.A.I.T.H. Riders: A Motorcycle Ministry
F.A.I.T.H. Riders is one of the more unusual ministries at Cedar Crest. F.A.I.T.H. stands for Forgiveness is Available, but it's Impossible unless you Turn from sin and trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior to reach Heaven. The group is a family of believers united by love for Christ and a passion for the open road.
Members come from all walks of life: business professionals, nurses, realtors, business owners, veterans, retirees. They are united not by profession but by mission - using motorcycles as a tool for evangelism. Whether a person rides a Harley, a Honda, or no motorcycle at all, they are welcome. The Riders meet monthly in the Student Center, Room #101, and they share an affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention while insisting that Christ transcends denominations and turns every mile into a mission field.
The Mission Team: Local, National, and Global
Cedar Crest follows the biblical pattern of Acts 1:8, providing numerous opportunities for members to go outside the doors of the church with a message of hope. The mission team organizes and supports trips to established international destinations, where the work may include Bible study groups, environmental care in the name of Jesus, or encouragement of full-time missionaries already on the field.
Not all the work involves travel. A global mission fund established years ago helps cover the cost of trips for those who want to serve, and the church provides support to local churches and organizations helping carry the gospel to various people groups. Through the work of the mission team, more than twenty-five outside ministries are served in a year.
Cedar Crest Day Care
Cedar Crest Day Care Center is a Christian early learning center owned and operated by the church. Licensed as a Type I Early Learning Center by the Louisiana Department of Education and approved by both the Fire Marshal's Office and the Office of Public Health, the center is led by a state-approved director who oversees daily operations.
The center's purpose is to honor God by providing quality care in a loving, Christ-centered environment where children feel secure, valued, and encouraged to explore the world around them. Classrooms reflect the love of Christ through gentle guidance, joyful learning, and meaningful relationships, and the program partners with families to support the spiritual, emotional, physical, social, and cognitive development of every child.
Daycare hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, closed on weekends. The center observes New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the Friday after, Christmas Eve, Christmas and the day after, and New Year's Eve. If a holiday falls on a weekend, it is observed on the following Monday.
Tuition is $150 a week for one child age one and up, $145 a week for two children age one and up, and $175 a week for infants. There is a one-time $35 registration fee and a $100 annual Montessori and supply fee. Tuition can be paid weekly (due Mondays) or monthly (due by the fifth) and is required in full and on time each week, regardless of absences due to illness or vacation. To schedule a tour and meet with the daycare director, the church invites parents to use the contact link provided.
What Cedar Crest Believes
Cedar Crest Baptist Church describes itself as a church under the lordship of Jesus Christ, committed to contending for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. The church stands in unity with the historic Christian church, confessing the Apostles', Nicene, and Chalcedonian Creeds as accurate representations of Scripture's teaching, and is situated within the Evangelical and Southern Baptist traditions.
The basic doctrines represent what the church believes to be core elements of biblical teaching, which all members are expected to affirm. The theological distinctives reflect what distinguishes Cedar Crest from other churches that would affirm the basic doctrines; members may not teach contrary to them, though they are not all expected to embrace every aspect. A Statement of Faith and the church's Bylaws are available for a deeper read.
Three summary doctrines frame the rest: the doctrine of God, who exists eternally as three distinct persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each fully God yet one in essence; the doctrine of salvation, a gift of God's grace received by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone; and the doctrine of the church, God's people called to worship, serve, and shine the light of Christ in the world. The church also affirms the doctrine of new creation: Jesus Christ will return to bring final judgment and establish a new creation in which God's glory fills all things.
The Statement of Faith in Twenty Articles
The full Statement of Faith at Cedar Crest is organized into twenty articles. The Bible is presented as God's revelation of Himself to man, written by men divinely inspired, a perfect treasure of divine instruction, totally true and trustworthy, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.
Article II teaches one true God, an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe, infinite in holiness and all other perfections, revealing Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being. Article III teaches that man is the special creation of God, made in His own image, male and female, endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice but fallen into sin, with every race possessing full dignity and worthy of respect and Christian love.
Article IV lays out salvation as involving the redemption of the whole man, offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, including regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification, with no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ. Article V is God's purpose of grace, including the doctrines of election and the perseverance of the saints.
Article VI is the church: an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. The scriptural officers are pastors and deacons, and the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.
Article VII is baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is a symbolic depiction of the believer's union with Christ in His death and resurrection, prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.
Article VIII is the Lord's Day, set apart for regular worship and spiritual devotion. Article IX is the Kingdom of God, including both His general sovereignty and His particular kingship over men who acknowledge Him as King. Article X is last things: God will bring the world to its appropriate end in His own time and way, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory, the dead will be raised, Christ will judge all men in righteousness, the unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, and the righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and dwell forever in Heaven.
Article XI is evangelism and missions, the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ. Article XII is education, holding that Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence, with all sound learning part of the Christian heritage. Article XIII is stewardship, the spiritual debtorship of Christians to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. Article XIV is cooperation, encouraging voluntary cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God, with the New Testament model being spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends.
Article XV is the Christian and the social order, calling Christians to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in their own lives and in human society, opposing racism, greed, selfishness, and vice, and contending for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Article XVI is peace and war, teaching that the true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of the Lord. Article XVII is religious liberty, affirming that God alone is Lord of the conscience and that church and state should be separate.
Article XVIII is the family. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church; the wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord.
Article XIX is complementarianism: men and women are absolutely equal in essence, dignity, and value but are distinct by divine design, with different yet complementary roles and responsibilities in the home and church. The office of pastor and shepherd is reserved for qualified men.
Article XX is the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts seen on display in the New Testament are still active within the life of the church and did not end with the close of the New Testament or the death of the last apostle.
Core Values and the Story So Far
Three core values run through every program at Cedar Crest. To abide is to remain rooted in Christ through prayer, Scripture, and worship. To engage is to live out faith by building relationships and serving others. To invest is to give time, gifts, and resources to grow God's Kingdom.
The church tells its own story plainly. For decades, Cedar Crest has been a place where people gather to worship, grow, and serve. What began as a small community of believers has grown into a church family committed to abiding in Christ, engaging with others, and investing in God's Kingdom. Through every season, God's faithfulness has guided the story.
You are welcome here. Whether someone is stepping through the doors for the first time or has been a part of the church family for years, the greeting is the same. At Cedar Crest, we abide in Christ, engage the lost, and invest our all for His Glory.