By Brian Blackwell, Message staff writer
PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Shortly after his election as the 10th president of Louisiana Christian University Feb. 25, Mark Johnson shared his excitement about fostering partnerships with the community and for the Kingdom.
“It’s not about me,” Johnson shared with local news media after the conclusion of a press conference on campus. “It’s about all of us. And I think that’s what makes me more excited – to bring people together and to get some excitement.”
When he officially assumes his role June 1, Johnson said he will embark upon the P3 56 Tour, a series of 100 events in 100 days. Based on Proverbs 3:5-6, the effort will aim to engage the community and promote the university.
“Here’s my appeal to everyone in the community and in the area,” he said. “Become one of those 100 events. We want you to say, hey, come and meet our school. Come and meet our business. Come and meet our leaders. And we’re trying to generate the kind of buzz that we can fill up these 100 events with events not only on the campus but off the campus as well.
“I believe in partnerships,” he said. “We grow with partnerships, and I think we can do something great when we pull that together.”
Johnson stressed how important partnerships will before LCU.
“There’s opportunities for them to train our young people and opportunities for our young people to be trained,” he said. “This could be more than just getting a college degree. It can be about changing your life. And I think that’s what’s more important to me when I think about this community and the city coming together and doing some great things, not for us, not to grow our kingdom, but to grow the Kingdom of God through our young people.”
Johnson asked Louisiana Baptists to pray for him, his family and LCU as they move forward.
“When I think about the prayers from Louisiana Baptists, my prayer would be just a prayer that God will continue to allow us to follow His path,” he said. “At the end of the day, everyone has directions they want to go in. But when you’re following the Lord’s path, it’s a greater pasture, and it’s a pasture that’s filled with joy and peace along the way. So pray that we will just follow what God has in his hands for Louisiana Baptists.”
