Church at Addis Staff

Our Leadership

Leadership Directory

Image

Pastor Tom Shepard

Lead-Executive Pastor
I 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. 
Send Email
Image

Jessee Altazan

Worship Leader/Art and Music Instructor
Send Email
Image

Pastor Wade Smith

Campus Pastor/Director of Education
After 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.
Send Email
Image

Dr. Lawton Searcy

Associate Pastor/Prison Ministry
In 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.
Send Email
Image

Pastor Mark Younger

Missions Pastor/Volunteer Coordinator
I 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. 
Send Email
Image

Pastor Kevin Moss

Associate Pastor of Students
I 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.
Send Email
Image

Gary Smith

Media-Tech/Senior Adult Director
For 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.
Send Email
Image

Jean Putnam

CAL Headmaster

How 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

Send Email
Image

Anna Berthelot

Preschool Director
I 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.
Send Email
Image

Niki Gillikin

Administrative Assistant

Born 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.

Send Email
Image

Sharena Fontenot

Finance Director
Send Email
Image

Aaron Altazan

Worship Leader/Social Media Specialist

I 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.

Send Email
Image

Emily Courtade