Church at Addis Staff
Our Leadership
Leadership Directory
Pastor Tom Shepard
Lead-Executive PastorI have served as the lead pastor at Addis since July of 2010. It is a blessing to serve and work in the community we love. I believe our God is a God of second chances and is continually doing a redemptive work in the hearts of men. Our vision is to impact the communities we are serving by practically meeting the needs of those people, and propagating the gospel of Christ. I am married to my best friend, Daneyel, and we have seven children, Thomas II, Kirby, Makenna, Micah, Anthony, Molly, and Mercy.
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Pastor Wade Smith
Campus Pastor/Director of EducationAfter spending over thirty years as an administrator in the field of education, I came to the Church at Addis in 2020 to serve as the director of education for the Christian Academy of Louisiana. As I work with our church's continually growing school, I am also currently a professor of education, specializing in educational leadership and administration at SLU. I now live in Baton Rouge and serve in Livingston Parish as the campus pastor at the Living Waters Church. My wife Linda and I are blessed to have been married since 1978 and have two children, Christie and Leann.
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Pastor Mark Younger
Missions Pastor/Volunteer CoordinatorI am a bi-vocational pastor and business owner. My passions lie in helping others live out their purposes in Christ. My wife, Heather, and I served for a number of years as foreign missionaries in Honduras. Whether on the foreign mission field or at home you will likely find me working right alongside others and directing the conversations to spiritual matters. I like to stay moving and serve wherever I am needed. Some of my favorite places to serve are Kidz Ministry, Church Security and Parking Teams, and as Missions Pastor.
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Dr. Lawton Searcy
Associate Pastor/Prison MinistryIn 2020 I joined Church at Addis as a retired pastor and consultant for church construction with over 40 years of service in the ministry. I got involved in prison ministry in 2014 at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center where I now serve as the Corrections Program Manager in charge of faith-based programming. By placing chaplains behind bars and instituting Biblical models of intervention, we’re seeing inmates experience real change and witnessing a transformation of prison culture. I’ve been married to the love of my life, Rhonda, since 1975. We have two sons, Robert and Eric, and a daughter Emileigh who went home to Jesus in 2020 at the age of 35.
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Pastor Kevin Moss
Associate Pastor of StudentsI came to Church at Addis in July of 2021 with over thirty years of experience in working with middle school and high school students. God began the process of calling me to serve as a full-time minister when I was a junior in high school. I went on to graduate from East Texas Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a focus on missions and evangelism. I married my wife, Stephanie, in 1995, and we were blessed with our daughter, Emily, in 2004.
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Gary Smith
Media-Tech/Senior Adult DirectorFor over 40 years I've enjoyed serving in church, from music to media, from technology to group ministries. Over the years, God has continued to provide many ways for me to express His love and salvation. Lisa and I met in the music library at Southeastern, married in 1978, and we've been blessed to share these ministry experiences together. Our son Garrett and his wife Libby are also musicians.
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Jean Putnam
CAL HeadmasterHow pure and innocent is a child’s love! As they grow, it’s my joy to help them learn about God’s love in creative and relevant ways. Since 2017, I have had the privilege of serving as the Headmaster of the Christian Academy of Louisiana. I have enjoyed providing support and encouragement for our school's leaders and teachers as well as for parents as they lay the foundation of spiritual growth at home.
Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
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Anna Berthelot
Preschool DirectorI am a long time member of Church at Addis and resident of West Baton Rouge. I have been married to my best friend since 2009, and we have three amazing children. I have my bachelor's degree and master's degree in early childhood education from Liberty University. I have been blessed to work in many fields but truly believe working with young children is my calling.
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Niki Gillikin
Administrative AssistantBorn and raised in West Baton Rouge Parish, I have always loved our small community. It was a blessing for me to find Church at Addis in 2010. I became Pastor Tom's administrative assistant not long after, when our church was very small. Watching both our church and community grow through the promises of Jesus Christ continues to amaze me every day. My husband Mike, myself, and our son Kaden live in Brusly. Our twin infant sons, Kameron and Kolston, live in heaven and in our hearts.
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Sharena Fontenot
Finance DirectorI currently serve as the Finance Director at Church at Addis and the Christian Academy of Louisiana. After transitioning from being a stay-at-home mom in 2023, I felt called to help nurture and grow the school to make a meaningful impact in the community. Sharena and her husband, Josh, reside in Port Allen with their two children, Maddie and Asher.
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Aaron Altazan
Worship Leader/Social Media SpecialistI grew up in church and cultivated a relationship with Christ from an early age. I served at River Ministries International and then the Rock church as an electric guitarist, youth leader, and missionary. In 2024 I joined the Church at Addis along with my lovely wife to serve as a worshipper, marketing specialist, web designer, and podcaster.
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Jessee Altazan
Worship Leader/Art and Music InstructorI grew up in Louisiana, where I was born and raised; and attended Southeastern University where I majored in music. I currently serve as a content creator and fine arts instructor for the Church at Addis where I teach both art and music. I also help in leading worship for services and Chapel and managing the music budget.
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Emily Courtade
Addis KidzI’m originally from a small town called Reserve. After marrying my husband, I moved to Plaquemine where we now raise our two boys. Four years ago, we started attending Church at Addis, and it was there that I gave my life to Christ and then made the decision for baptism. For the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of serving in the kids' ministry, which has been a true blessing. In September 2024, I felt a strong calling to serve in ministry full-time. My heart is in teaching children about God’s word, and I love doing so through creative means like curriculum, crafts, and games. I am deeply passionate about serving both my church and the community, and I find eternal joy in helping kids grow in their faith and understanding.