Our Mission

The mission of the Institute for Faith and the Public Square is to explore the intersection of faith and politics. 

Our Purpose

The purpose of the Institute is to explore the role that people of faith can have in the public square and to provide a forum where issues of concern to people of faith can be discussed.

Our Goals

The goals of the Institute are far-reaching. The most comprehensive goal is “to apply biblical truth to moral, public policy, and religious liberty issues in order to transform American culture.”  To accomplish this goal, the Institute works to establish a network to facilitate Christian interaction on moral and religious liberty issues, hosts special events and conferences, and consults churches on their efforts to understand their role in the public square.  The Institute also seeks to communicate the implications of public policy to the life and ministry of local churches.

Board Members

Director, Dr. Lloyd A. Harsch, Professor of Church History and Baptist Studies

Associate Director, Dr. Jeffrey B. Riley, Professor of Christian Ethics

Associate Director, Dr. Page Brooks, Assistant Professor of Theology and Islamic Studies; Chaplain, Captain, in the Louisiana National Guard

Board of Advisors:

    Dr. Kevin Brown , Executive Director, Trinity Christian Community (1998-2014), Caskey Associate Professor of Church and Community Ministries at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

    David Crosby, Pastor of First Baptist Church, New Orleans; helped found The Baptist Crossroads Project; former journalist with the Times-Picayune 

    Brian Egana, President and Chief Executive/Financial Officer of Circular Consulting; Democratic State Central Committee member

    Tommy French, founding pastor emeritus of Jefferson Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, past president of NOBTS Board of Trustees and Republican State Central Committee member

Jeffery Friend, Pastor, Suburban Baptist Church, New Orleans

    Daniel Holcomb, John T. Westbrook Professor of Church History at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary  

    Mel Jones, Director of Bethel Colony South drug rehab program and former coordinator of Ross Perot for President's Louisiana campaign headquarters.

    Warren Jones, Pastor of New Salem Baptist Church, New Orleans 

    Cynthia Willard-Lewis, Louisiana State Representative (1993-2000), New Orleans City Councilmember, District E (2000-2010), Louisiana State Senator (2010-2012).