Marti Armistead doesn’t attend the same university as most of her high school classmates. In fact, Armistead says because she was from Lake Charles she knew few people at Nicholls. Then she met the Rev. James Morrison, pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church on the Nicholls campus. He invited her and a group of other freshmen to join the Catholic campus ministry for a movie.”After that it was instant,” Armistead remembers. “No one can walk in here (the Aquinas center) and not meet a new person. This has been my home away from home. If not for St. Thomas, I probably would be shut up in my dorm room all day.”
Michelle Thibodaux, education senior from Cut Off, certainly hasn’t been cooped up in her house either during her years at Nicholls. For Spring Break, Thibodaux was in Mexico, her fourth time there-not for the sun or booze, but sharing her faith on a mission trip through the Baptist Collegiate Ministry.
“My first semester a friend invited me to the BCM,” Thibodaux explains. “Now I love hanging out there because the people are very welcoming, and it’s a great place to meet new Christian friends.”
Hundreds of other Nicholls students have had similar experiences at the two campus religious centers. The BCM estimates that between 300 and 400 students go through its doors each week, with about 100 attending worship services, 150 at its weekly lunches and more for Bible study and other activities.
Approximately 225 students are registered members of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, with about 150 active. Members say participation in the past couple of years has tripled, and the group is still looking to expand.
Brother Tim LeFleur, pastor at the BCM, says a lot of times students regain their faith at college.
“We’ve seen a lot of students commit their lives to Christ,” LeFleur says. “We’re not big on keeping numbers, but I would say about 25 or 30 students every year experience a genuine relationship with Jesus as a result of the message we send here.”
LeFleur prefers to take on a shared ministry approach by training students to help him carry out God’s word. “If I can impact students then they can touch other students. It’s not all just about me leading them. If I can equip key students, then they too can reach and inspire others throughout the campus.”
Even though most students have gone home for the summer and Morrison is out of town, laughter fills the halls of the Aquinas center. Armistead and Becky Breaux, freshman from Raceland, are reminiscing with staff member Maria Havis. They discuss the barbecue at last year’s tailgating parties, upcoming renovation plans for their auditorium and memories from their retreats.
“You make friends here that grow with you in your faith and in life,” Armistead says. “St. Thomas is also at hand. You don’t have to drive to get here from the campus.”
“And there’s a church open all day to go pray in about your finals,” Breaux adds. “I did that myself this past semester.”
Armistead says the ministry group is such a large network of diverse students that there’s always someone who students can relate to about problems they’re experiencing, whether the problems center around drug abuse, alcoholism or academic problems.
“When you’re in college, it’s easy to get steered away,” she says. “Being involved here makes it easier not to get lost in your faith.”
LeFleur says the biggest struggle with faith he’s witnessed with college students is the formation of their faith.
“So many students embrace their parents’ faith,” he explains. “When they get away from home, they are faced with becoming people of faith themselves. And we believe that belief will be followed by action. Our faith ought to make a difference in our lifestyles.”
Neither religious center turns students away because of race or religion. In fact, St. Thomas Aquinas’s former campus ministry president was Lutheran; a current member is Episcopalian. LeFleur says a lot of non-Baptists visit the BCM as well.
“We’re open to all students, but the services do have a Baptist background as our interpretation of the Bible,” LeFleur says. “It takes a heavy-duty commitment to have a ministry on campus.”
LeFleur says land must be leased from the University, a campus minister must be hired, a building must be constructed and maintained and funds must be secured for programming. But commitment is something the BCM members are accustomed to since in the last 10 years, 100 students have given up their summers to serve as missionaries. Six are serving this summer.
Thibodaux, former director of missions for the BCM, says the ministry helped her adjust to college and created a very loving and accepting atmosphere for her to hang out in.
“We love all students and believe they should be treated with respect,” LeFleur says. “But if a student asks me a question, I won’t compromise the truth of the Bible.”
For the hundreds of students passing through the doors of the BCM and St. Thomas Aquinas, college life has been more than semesters of exams and parties. It’s been a journey to Christ that has challenged the strength of their beliefs. It’s been a faith-building experience they’ll never forget.
