New St. John Missionary Baptist Church has stood on South Boulevard in South Baton Rouge for more than a century, its origins reaching back to 1919 when a group of fifty-nine former Macedonia Baptist Church members began gathering in the Benevolent Hall on Peach Street under the leadership of the Reverend Octave Michell of Addis, Louisiana. A brick edifice has occupied the same block since 1951, an Educational Building rises beside it, and a Fellowship Center and commercial kitchen keep the place humming long after the benediction. The congregation's mission, as the church puts it, is not only to love one another but to meet people where they are and bring them to where Jesus wants them to be.
From a Hall on Peach Street to South Boulevard
The history of New St. John Missionary Baptist Church is at once inspiring and revealing. Its significance today is as enriching as it was in 1919, when the early membership of fifty-nine people, all formerly of Macedonia Baptist Church, began meeting in the Benevolent Hall on Peach Street in Baton Rouge under the Reverend Octave Michell. The site on which the present buildings stand was purchased by the membership with $1,500 received from Macedonia Baptist Church.
On October 31, 1921, Reverend Octave Mitchell was officially elected pastor. During the same year, a congregation of fifty-four members began the erection of a concrete block edifice at the cost of $9,600. When the funds ran out before the work was finished, two dedicated members - Brother Isom Smith, Chairman of the Deacon Board, and Sister Janie Spears, Chairman of the Deaconess Board - mortgaged their homes to secure the additional funds needed to complete the building. On November 6, 1921, all debts had been liquidated and the church was dedicated to God. It was in this very church that the Fourth District Missionary Baptist Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Association had its beginning.
The early officers included Brothers Isom Smith, Ike Cage, Henry Williams, Oscar Jackson, John Stafford, James Green, Robert Franklin, Otis Criss, and Willie Locks, alongside Sisters Janie Peterson, Malou Cage, Janie Spears, Lucinda Green, Millie Woods, Frozene John, Anna Johnson, Margaret Simms, Julia Lews, Alice Johnson, Rosa Smith Brown-Locks, Josephine Smith, and Willie Bell Monget.
In August of 1928, the Reverend E.D. Billoups was called to the pastorate, and under his leadership the membership grew. Two years later the original building was remodeled: twenty feet were added and a study for the pastor was built at a cost of more than $5,000. A few years after that, Reverend Billoups noticed major defects in the walls and led the membership toward building again. After years of fundraising, construction of the present two-story brick edifice began in 1950; it was completed in October 1951 and dedicated to God. By April 1954 the church was free of all debts.
In order to provide parking facilities, four lots southeast of the church were purchased by the membership in 1959 at a cost of $20,000. In May 1960, construction of an Educational Building called the Billoups Center was begun. The brick structure was designed to provide space for classrooms, an office, and two restrooms. An additional story was added a few years later to provide adequate space for recreational activities, larger meetings, and other church-related gatherings.
On March 7, 1982, the Reverend W. Marshall Myles was called to the pastorate. Under his leadership the church underwent renovations and redecorating, with an elevator added from the first floor to the sanctuary, more office space, and a commercial kitchen.
A Line of Four Pastors
The pastoral history of New St. John Missionary Baptist Church runs through four ministers. The Reverend Octave Mitchell led the congregation from 1921 to 1928 and laid the original concrete block building. The Reverend Dr. E. Doyle Billoups pastored from 1928 to 1975, then briefly returned for a final stint from 1977 to 1982 - his tenure was the longest, and the present brick edifice, the Educational Building, and the parking lots all date to his leadership. The Reverend Dr. Leo E. Billoups served for one year in 1976 and 1977. Since March 7, 1982, the Reverend Dr. W. Marshall Myles has served as Senior Pastor.
Rev. Dr. W. Marshall Myles and the Pastoral Team
The Reverend W. Marshall Myles is a native of Baton Rouge and a product of the East Baton Rouge Parish Schools. He holds both an undergraduate and graduate degree from Southern University at Baton Rouge and is also a graduate of the Union Theological Seminary. Pastor Myles was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by the Morris-Booker Baptist College of Dermott, Arkansas. He previously served as pastor of St. John Baptist Church of Mulatto Bend, Louisiana, and the Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church of Baton Rouge before being called to New St. John, where he has now served for more than three decades.
His community work has included serving as Executive Director of Operation Hope, President of the Board and Executive Director of the Louisiana Council for the Adoption of Minority Youth: One Church, One Family, and Chairman of the East Baton Rouge Parish Title 1 Advisory Council, as well as membership on the Greater Baton Rouge Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse. On the religious side he has served with the West Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish Ministers Conferences, the South Baton Rouge Ecumenical Council, the Fourth District Baptist Association, the Louisiana Baptist State Convention (as Vice President, Corresponding Secretary, and Finance Chairman), the Louisiana Baptist Youth Encampment as Director, and the Baptist Student Center at Southern University as Director and Chaplain. At the national level he has served on the Board of Directors of the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Incorporated.
Pastor Myles is known throughout the city, state, and nation as a minister of the gospel and for his interest in young people. Several innovative programs for young people at New St. John and in the community trace back to his leadership. His wife, Joyce Myles, has been at his side for fifty years, and together they have two adult children and one granddaughter.
The pastoral team includes the Reverend Kevin Galloway, a native of Fordyce, Arkansas, who began his ministry at Enon Baptist Church and went on to serve ten years as associate pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church in Crossett, Arkansas. Reverend Galloway moved to Baton Rouge in 2010 and united with New St. John in 2014. He holds an Associate Degree in Business from the University of Phoenix and a Certificate of Theology from United Theological Seminary in Atlanta. Reverend Galloway is described as a praying preacher who brings a word from the Lord to the people of the Lord and introduces Jesus to a hurting world.
Other members of the pastoral team include Sister Marian White, Sister Marva Cook, Sister Lanette Holmes, Sister Denise Chandler, Sister Janice Sutton, Sister Drusilla Carter, Brother Troy Jackson, and Brother Louis Hall.
Sundays at Eight O'Clock
Sunday worship at New St. John Missionary Baptist Church begins at 8:00 a.m. CST and runs through about 10:00 a.m. Immediately after the service, breakfast is served in the Fellowship Center. The service is offered both in person and virtually, with livestreams hosted through the church's Facebook page, YouTube channel, and Sermons archive.
The church describes its mission as helping visitors explore their relationship with God and strengthen the meaningful relationships in their family lives. Worship is built around the warmth of faith and the strength of the community, with the pastor preaching, the choirs singing, and prayer carrying through the morning. The Sermons archive at the church's online home keeps a running library of messages from both the Senior Pastor and the Reverend Kevin Galloway, organized by speaker and topic.
Children's Worship and the Kid's Corner
Children have their own place at New St. John. Children's Worship meets on the first, third, and fourth Sundays of each month from 7:45 a.m. until the end of the adult service. Parents may drop children off in the Education Building downstairs or upstairs in the Fellowship Center for breakfast at 7:45 a.m. Children's pick-up is immediately following the adult church service. Children must be accompanied by an adult at check-in, and the church asks to be notified in advance of any special needs or allergies.
The Children's Ministry is led by a separate team that plans events, teaches on the rotating Sundays, assists with breakfast, leads arts and crafts, and more. The Kid's Corner section of the church's online presence shares what was taught each week so families can reinforce the lessons at home. Recent lessons have walked children through the story of Noah's Ark, God's promise to Abram that he would have a son, and God's promise to Sarah that she would have a son. Registration is required for each child before attending Children's Worship, and a parent or guardian must accompany the child at check-in.
A Youth Spotlight feature on the Kid's Corner, written by a young writer named Loriana, imagines a Sunday where Jesus appears at a throne and calls three children - kind, peaceful, and happiness - to keep bringing chosen ones to the church. It is a small glimpse into how the children's ministry imagines its own work.
Wednesday Nights: Refreshing and Renewing
For those looking for a midweek touchpoint, the Refreshing and Renewing Service meets every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. CST. It is described as a time of fellowship, intensive prayer, and a word from the pastor. The service is hosted through the church's Facebook page, where the pastor and the community gather online for a focused time of worship that fits between a long workday and the rest of the week.
A House of Music
Music holds a central place in the life of the congregation. The Chancel Choir - open to those ages sixteen and older - is described as one of the best in South Baton Rouge. Men of Valor, the all-male choir, leads worship on every fifth Sunday. The Youth Choir takes the stand on every second Sunday. Two additional ensembles, the Male Chorus and Voices of NSJ, round out the music ministry, and soloists and instrumentalists often join the Sunday service for special selections such as Christie Campbell's violin rendering of Amazing Grace during the church anniversary service.
The Roster of Ministries
New St. John runs an extensive slate of ministries that touch most corners of congregational life. The Deacons Ministry gathers a group of honorable, hardworking, God-fearing men who set an example for younger men in the community. The Deaconess Ministry provides women leaders who offer love and support to anyone in need. The New Member's Ministry welcomes newcomers, while the Greeter's Ministry greets members and visitors as they enter the building.
Three usher boards serve on Sundays and at special events: Adult Ushers, Young Adult Ushers, and Youth Ushers. The Scholarship Ministry supports college students. The Cultural Guild hosts events throughout the year to bring awareness to African American roots. The Labourer's Ministry plans events and works with the church's adopted community school. The Married Women Ministry uplifts women through marriage, while Sister-To-Sister leads community events and special church services. The Social Justice Ministry advocates at the legislative level. The Senior Wellness Ministry hosts events to care for older members. The Media Ministry runs everything from websites to graphics to production behind the scenes.
When Reverend Myles became pastor in 1982, the church's ministries already included the Deacon Board, Deaconess Board, Young Adult and Senior Usher Boards, Senior, Young People, and Cherubim Choirs, the Missionary Circle, Pulpit Circle, New St. John Laborers, Prayer Band, Pastor's Aid Circle, Trustee Board, Brotherhood, Flower Committee, Sunday School and Baptist Training Union, and the Married Women Fellowship & Service League. Over the years the roster grew to add the Department of Christian Education, the Cultural Development Support Guild, Boy Scouts, the Scholarship Fund, Usher Board #3, the Youth Department, the New St. John Boy's Academy, the Senior Wellness Ministry, Sister-to-Sister, the Social Justice Ministry, the Youth Coordinating Council, Vision 2000, Master's Men, the Male Chorus, Voices of NSJ, the Refreshing & Renewing Bible Study, Youth Ushers, and a Tutoring Program.
Anyone interested in joining a ministry is invited to email the church at newstjohn@aol.com. Volunteers who want to work with children may also email the Children's Worship Ministry directly at degginskd@gmail.com.
Outreach Beyond the Sanctuary
Pastor Myles's community involvements give a window into how New St. John has engaged the wider Baton Rouge area. The church's adoption of a community school through the Labourer's Ministry, its Tutoring Program, its work through Operation Hope, and its collaboration with the East Baton Rouge Parish Title 1 Advisory Council all sit alongside its membership in organizations such as the Baptist World Alliance, the National Council of Churches, the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. Inc., the Foreign Mission Board, the Home Mission Board, the American Baptist Theological Seminary, the Louisiana Baptist State Convention, the Fourth District Baptist Association, and Leland College.
Through the years the church has offered financial support to all of these bodies. Locally, the Boy Scout troop carries the congregation's presence into neighborhood youth programs, while the Senior Wellness Ministry looks after the older members of the church family in tangible ways.
Building, Parking, and Accessibility
The two-story brick edifice dedicated in 1951 still anchors worship, with sanctuary space on the upper level and offices and gathering space below. The elevator installed under Pastor Myles's leadership connects the first floor to the sanctuary, making the upper worship space accessible to those who cannot climb stairs. The Billoups Center Educational Building rises beside the main edifice, providing classrooms, an office, two restrooms, and a second-story space for recreation and meetings. The Fellowship Center upstairs serves breakfast on Sunday mornings after the service. A commercial kitchen supports church meals, and four parking lots to the southeast give drivers a place to leave their cars.
Prayer, Counseling, and Pastoral Care
Pastoral care at New St. John extends beyond Sunday mornings. The Prayer & Counseling page invites anyone with prayer requests, questions, or a testimony to share to fill out a form or email the church. A specific prayer is offered for the bereaved, recognizing that the immediate family of the deceased often needs ongoing support after the funeral services have ended and friends have gone home. For those in need of one-on-one counseling, the church invites visitors to reach out by email.
Visitors and members alike can submit prayer requests online. The prayer ministry cites James 5:16 - "the earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results" - and Ephesians 6:18 on praying at all times.
Giving and Staying in Touch
Tithes and offerings can be given in three ways: by mail to 1455 South Boulevard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802, with checks made payable to New St. John Baptist Church; online through Tithe.ly, where givers can pay one-time, set up recurring payments, or give to a specific fund; or by texting "GIVE" to 833-691-0806 and following the instructions sent back by text message. The giving page pairs its online option with scripture from Psalm 126:6 and Genesis 28:20-22, framing the tithe as an act of worship.
Beyond giving, members and visitors can stay in touch through the church's Facebook page, its YouTube channel, the Sermons archive, and the Kid's Corner newsletter by subscription. The church office can be reached by phone at 225-383-5280 or by fax at 225-383-5662.
From the early days when fifty-nine former Macedonia members met at the Benevolent Hall on Peach Street, to the concrete block edifice dedicated on November 6, 1921, to the brick sanctuary completed in 1951, to the elevator, the Educational Building, and the Fellowship Center of today, New St. John Missionary Baptist Church has been a steady presence in South Baton Rouge for more than a hundred years. The mission has stayed the same: not just to love one another, but to meet people where they are and bring them to where Jesus wants them to be.